Stratagem 13
Original German
Um zu machen daß er einen Satz annimmt, müssen wir das Gegentheil dazu geben und ihm die Wahl lassen, und dies Gegentheil recht grell aussprechen, so daß er um nicht paradox zu seyn, in unsern Satz eingehn muß, der ganz probabel dagegen aussieht. Z. B. Er soll zugeben daß Einer Alles thun muß was ihm sein Vater sagt: so fragen wir: „soll man in allen Dingen den Eltern ungehorsam oder gehorsam seyn?“ — Oder ist von irgend einer Sache gesagt „Oft“; so fragen wir ob unter „oft“ wenige Fälle oder viel verstanden sind: er wird sagen „viele“. Es ist wie wenn man Grau neben Schwarz legt, so kann es weiß heißen; und legt man es neben Weiß, so kann es schwarz heißen.
Musean translation
Machine-assisted, directly from Deussen’s German edition (1923).
To make him accept a proposition, offer him its opposite and let him choose, putting this opposite in such stark terms that, to avoid appearing paradoxical, he must accept our proposition, which looks quite plausible beside it. For example, he is to concede that a person must do everything his father tells him. We ask: “Should one be disobedient or obedient to one's parents in everything?” Or something has been said to occur “often”: we ask whether “often” means few cases or many, and he will say “many.” It is like placing gray beside black, when it may be called white, or beside white, when it may be called black.
Plain English translation
Machine-assisted, independently translated directly from Deussen’s German edition (1923).
To get someone to accept a statement, offer its opposite as the other choice. Describe that opposite in such extreme terms that, to avoid seeming unreasonable, they have to accept our statement, which looks quite believable beside it. For example, we want them to admit that a person must do everything their father tells them. We ask, “Should people always disobey their parents, or obey them?” Or someone has said something happens “often.” We ask whether “often” means few cases or many. They will say “many.” It is like putting gray next to black and calling it white, or next to white and calling it black.
About this section
Stratagem 13 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 18 of 43 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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