Stratagem 33
Original German
„Das mag in der Theorie richtig seyn; in der Praxis ist es falsch.“ — Durch dieses Sophisma giebt man die Gründe zu und leugnet doch die Folgen; im Widerspruch mit der Regel a ratione ad rationatum valet consequentia. — Jene Behauptung setzt eine Unmöglichkeit: was in der Theorie richtig ist, muß auch in der Praxis zutreffen: trifft es nicht zu, so liegt ein Fehler in der Theorie, irgend etwas ist übersehn und nicht in Anschlag gebracht worden, folglich ist's auch in der Theorie falsch.
Musean translation
Machine-assisted, directly from Deussen’s German edition (1923).
“That may be correct in theory; in practice it is false.” Through this sophism one concedes the grounds but denies the consequences, contrary to the rule that the inference from ground to consequence is valid. That assertion posits an impossibility: what is correct in theory must also hold in practice. If it does not, there is an error in the theory: something has been overlooked and not taken into account. Consequently, it is false in theory too.
Plain English translation
Machine-assisted, independently translated directly from Deussen’s German edition (1923).
“It may be right in theory, but it is wrong in practice.” This accepts the reasons but rejects what follows from them. It breaks the rule that a valid inference leads from a reason to its consequence. The claim is impossible: what is correct in theory must also apply in practice. If it does not, the theory contains an error. Something has been overlooked or left out of account, so it is wrong in theory as well.
About this section
Stratagem 33 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 38 of 43 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
Open the work page for the full contents, every edition, and the download links, or go back to Explore to browse other complete works in the European tradition. The reader keeps your place when you are signed in and lets you compare the original with each translation, one edition at a time.