Stratagem 17
Original German
Wenn der Gegner uns durch einen Gegenbeweis bedrängt, so werden wir uns oft retten können durch eine feine Unterscheidung, an die wir früher freilich nicht gedacht haben, wenn die Sache irgend eine doppelte Bedeutung oder einen doppelten Fall zuläßt.
Musean translation
Machine-assisted, directly from Deussen’s German edition (1923).
If the opponent presses us with a counterproof, we can often save ourselves by a subtle distinction that admittedly had not occurred to us before, provided the matter admits a double meaning or a double case.
Plain English translation
Machine-assisted, independently translated directly from Deussen’s German edition (1923).
When the opponent presses us with a proof against our position, we can often escape by making a subtle distinction that admittedly had not occurred to us before. This works if the matter allows two meanings or two different cases.
About this section
Stratagem 17 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 22 of 43 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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