Stratagem 10
Original German
Wenn man merkt daß der Gegner die Fragen, deren Bejahung für unsern Satz zu brauchen wäre, absichtlich verneint, so muß man das Gegentheil des zu gebrauchenden Satzes fragen, als wollte man das bejaht wissen, oder wenigstens ihm beides zur Wahl vorlegen, so daß er nicht merkt welchen Satz man bejaht haben will.
Musean translation
Machine-assisted, directly from Deussen’s German edition (1923).
If one notices that the opponent deliberately answers no to questions whose affirmative answers could support one's proposition, ask about the opposite of the proposition needed, as though one wished this to be affirmed; or at least offer him both alternatives, so that he does not notice which proposition one wants affirmed.
Plain English translation
Machine-assisted, independently translated directly from Deussen’s German edition (1923).
Suppose the opponent deliberately says no to questions whose yes answers would support your claim. Ask about the opposite of the statement you need, as if that were the one you wanted accepted. Or give them both statements to choose from, so they cannot see which answer you want.
About this section
Stratagem 10 is part of The Art of Being Right by Arthur Schopenhauer. This page sets the German original beside 2 direct-source translations, so any line can be checked against the source. It is section 15 of 43 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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