Stratagem 23
Original German
Der Widerspruch und der Streit reizt zur Uebertreibung der Behauptung. Wir können also den Gegner durch Widerspruch reizen, eine an sich und in gehöriger Einschränkung allenfalls wahre Behauptung über die Wahrheit hinaus zu steigern: und wenn wir nun diese Uebertreibung widerlegt haben; so sieht es aus, als hätten wir auch seinen ursprünglichen Satz widerlegt. Dagegen haben wir selbst uns zu hüten, nicht uns durch Widerspruch zur Uebertreibung oder weitern Ausdehnung unsers Satzes verleiten zu lassen. Oft auch wird der Gegner selbst unmittelbar suchen unsre Behauptung weiter auszudehnen als wir sie gestellt haben: dem müssen wir dann gleich Einhalt thun, und ihn auf die Grenzlinie unsrer Behauptung zurückführen mit „so viel habe ich gesagt und nicht mehr“. —
Musean translation
Machine-assisted, directly from Deussen’s German edition (1923).
Contradiction and contention provoke an exaggeration of an assertion. By contradicting the opponent, we can therefore provoke him into pushing beyond truth an assertion that, in itself and with proper qualifications, might be true. Once we have refuted this exaggeration, it appears that we have refuted his original proposition too. We ourselves must take care not to let contradiction tempt us into exaggerating or further extending our proposition. The opponent will also often try directly to extend our assertion beyond the terms in which we advanced it. We must stop him at once and return him to its boundary with: “This much I said, and no more.”
Plain English translation
Machine-assisted, independently translated directly from Deussen’s German edition (1923).
Being contradicted and drawn into a dispute tempts people to exaggerate their claims. By contradicting the opponent, we can provoke them to push beyond the truth a statement that might be true if properly limited. After we refute the exaggerated version, it looks as if we have refuted the original too. We must guard against this ourselves. Contradiction must not tempt us to exaggerate or broaden our own claim. The opponent may also directly try to make our statement broader than we made it. Stop them immediately and bring them back to its limits: “That is what I said, and nothing more.”
About this section
Stratagem 23 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 28 of 43 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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