GR as a classical spin-2 theory?

The spin-2 view on GR has been extremely influential in the particle physics community, including for the development of string theory. Leaving no doubt on its heuristic value, we argue that a foundationalist spin-2 view of GR, as often tacitly taken up as well, runs into a dilemma: either the spin-2 view is physically incoherent, or it leads to an absurd multiplication of alternative viewpoints on GR — in an immediate clash with accepted standards of theorising, and current knowledge of (quantising) gravity.