Notes on Schopenhauer's Art of Being Right

Introduction

• Philosophers often focus on truth, logic, and inquiry but overlook practical debate tactics.
• Schopenhauer's essay offers techniques to dominate debates, making the opponent appear foolish.

Key Techniques for Winning Debates

1. Exaggeration

• Misinterpret opponent's statements by exaggerating their claims.
• Example: Misrepresent an argument for freedom of speech as supporting harmful actions (e.g., shouting bombs).

2. Mot and Bailey Argument

• Split arguments into a weaker, easily defendable claim and a stronger, extreme claim.
• Shift between these claims based on what is being challenged.

3. Questioning Strategy

• Employ distracting and irrelevant questions to confuse the opponent.
• Ignore sensible answers and capitalize on any slip-ups.

4. Control Over Metaphors

• Frame the discussion using loaded or positive terms that favor your position.
• Make opponents appear irrational or extreme based on how you label them (e.g., "puppy fanatics" vs. "protectors").

5. Common Sense Appeal

• Present arguments that seem based on common sense to undermine opponents' more complex claims.
• Frame your position as simpler, creating a bias towards your argument.

6. Interruption

• Interrupt opponents frequently to disrupt their flow of thought.
• This creates an impression of their instability or incoherence.

7. Provoking Anger

• Make your opponent angry to cloud their reasoning and coherence in arguments.
• Use condescending language or personal attacks to achieve this.

8. Word Salad

• Use complicated language and technical terms to disguise a lack of substantive argument.
• Create an illusion of expertise without deep understanding.

Miscellaneous Tactics

• Utilize personal insults to derail discussions.
• Dismiss opponents' arguments based on irrelevant generalizations.
• Conflate unrelated terms to confuse your opponent.
• Change the subject when losing ground in the debate.

Conclusion

• Schopenhauer's essay reveals rhetorical tricks used by bad faith debaters.
• Understanding these techniques helps in recognizing when someone is using sophistry instead of genuine argumentation.
• Emphasizes the importance of critical thinking in discourse over mere victory.