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  • TimB replied to the topic I read the news today oh boy… in the forum Politics and Social Issues 5 years, 2 months ago

    The following from Wikipedia (“The Art of Being Right”)

    The following lists the 38 stratagems (nasty debating tactics) described by Schopenhauer, in the order of their appearance in the book:

    1. The Extension (Dana’s Law)
    2. The Homonymy
    3. Generalize Your Opponent’s Specific Statements
    4. Conceal Your Game
    5. False Propositions
    6. Postulate What Has to Be Proved
    7. Yield Admissions Through Questions
    8. Make Your Opponent Angry
    9. Questions in Detouring Order
    10. Take Advantage of the Nay-Sayer
    11. Generalize Admissions of Specific Cases
    12. Choose Metaphors Favourable to Your Proposition
    13. Agree to Reject the Counter-Proposition
    14. Claim Victory Despite Defeat
    15. Use Seemingly Absurd Propositions
    16. Arguments Ad Hominem
    17. Defense Through Subtle Distinction
    18. Interrupt, Break, Divert the Dispute
    19. Generalize the Matter, Then Argue Against it
    20. Draw Conclusions Yourself
    21. Meet Him With a Counter-Argument as Bad as His
    22. Petitio principia
    23. Make Him Exaggerate His Statement
    24. State a False Syllogism
    25. Find One Instance to the Contrary
    26. Turn the Tables
    27. Anger Indicates a Weak Point
    28. Persuade the Audience, Not the Opponent
    29. Diversion
    30. Appeal to Authority Rather Than Reason
    31. This Is Beyond Me
    32. Put His Thesis into Some Odious Category
    33. It Applies in Theory, but Not in Practice
    34. Don’t Let Him Off the Hook
    35. Will Is More Effective Than Insight
    36. Bewilder Your opponent by Mere Bombast
    37. A Faulty Proof Refutes His Whole Position
    38. Become Personal, Insulting, Rude (argumentum ad personam)

    This must be the training manual for the army of Trumpublicans.