Evening star., 1952-09-07

to make your point Is only q small
part Of Schopenhauer's advice on
how to get ahead in spite of your
conscience. The Grgumeltum er con-
ceSsts is a valuable weapon which
has been fired number Of times
in the present campaign. This is a
device to get a man to condemn his
stand out of his own mouth, and
frequently is linked closely with beg
ging the queStion-another valuable
means Of confusing the voters.
Moody VS.. MeKeIdin
The argumentum er concessis was
used neatly in recent debate be-
tween Gov. McKeldin and Senator
Moody Of Michigan. Moody branched
out happily from the issue to ask
McKeldin what he thought about
Joe McCarthy's tactics. McKeldip
allowed that he didn't favor them.
Then. asked Moody, how do you ac-
count for Eisenhower's support Of
Mccarthy?
No mean question -begger himself,
the Maryland Governor observed that
Adlai Stevenson had not disavowed
Senator McCarran of Nevada. And
Moody came back, begging the ques-
ton again by pointing out that Nc
Carran was not running this year.
Also helpful to the politician is
Schopenhauer'S Grgumentum ad De-
Tecundtd11, or appeal to authority.
Schopenhauer points out that people
generally have such deep respect for
authority that they will swallow the
most arrant nonsense if it is attribu.
ted to some well-known person.
Washington. Jefferson, Lincoln and
-lately-Franklin D. Roosevelt have
had so many statements attributed
to them that the average man is
ready to take it hook. line and sinker,
. regardless OF whether the quotation
is genuine or spurious. Quoting an
authority out Of context is helpful.
TOO. And as Schopenhauer says. "You
may also, should it be necessary, not
only twist your authorities, but &C
tually falsify them, or quote some.
thing you have invented entirely
yourself. AS rule, your opponent has
no books at hand. and could not use
them if he had"
Not Truth, but Victory
Akin to both arguments, ad pere-
cu1dtam and er concessis, is a third
one, the Grgumentum ad hominem.
This appeals not to the truth as it is,
but as it appears to your opponent.
Clarence Darrow used it nicely
against William Jennings Bryan at
the Scopes trial when he made Dar-
row identify himself as religious
= fundamentalist and then quoted the
Bible at him. It can be-and is
used frequently in political debate to
force man into Cd ridiculous DO
sition or (2) political heresy. The
Grgnnlentun dd hon,iuem is one rea-
son political platforms are worded so
equivocally.
AS Schopenhauer says, the impor.
tants thing in an argument is not to
determine where the truth lies, but
to win the debate. So when you
start getting the worse of it, he coun-
sells, you can throw your opponent or
balance and keep him that way by
becoming loud, insulting and rude.
And finally, when all else fails, there
is always the Grgumentum ad per-
sondm. in which you attack not the
mans facts, nor his beliefs, but the
man himself. You assail his parent
age, his honor, his morals, his per.
sonal appearance. You ridicule him,
you revile him, you get the public
laughing at him. Then, says Scho-
penhauer. he has nothing else to do
but get mad-and If you are cynical
enough about it. and keep your head,
you are bound to win the argument.
Unless, of course. he happens to be
half head taller and SO pounds
heavier than you are.