Stratagem 14
Original German
Ein unverschämter Streich ist es, wenn man nach mehreren Fragen die er beantwortet hat, ohne daß die Antworten zu Gunsten des Schlusses den wir beabsichtigen ausgefallen wären, nun den Schlußsatz, den man dadurch herbeiführen will, obgleich er gar nicht daraus folgt, dennoch als dadurch bewiesen aufstellt und triumphirend ausschreit. Wenn der Gegner schüchtern oder dumm ist, und man selbst viel Unverschämtheit und eine gute Stimme hat, so kann das recht gut gelingen. Gehört zur fallacia non causae ut causae.
Musean translation
Machine-assisted, directly from Deussen’s German edition (1923).
An insolent stroke: after he has answered several questions, although his answers have not favored the inference we intend, advance the conclusion we wish to establish as nevertheless proved by them, even though it does not follow at all, and proclaim it triumphantly. If the opponent is timid or stupid, and one has ample insolence and a strong voice, this can succeed quite well. It belongs to the fallacy of treating a non-cause as a cause.
Plain English translation
Machine-assisted, independently translated directly from Deussen’s German edition (1923).
A shameless trick is to ask several questions and then announce triumphantly that the answers prove the conclusion you want, although the answers did not favor it and it does not follow from them at all. This can work well if the opponent is shy or stupid and you have plenty of shamelessness and a powerful voice. It is the fallacy of treating something that is not a cause as a cause.
About this section
Stratagem 14 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 19 of 43 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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