The Art of Always Being Right

A.C. Grayling is one of Britains best-known and best-selling media philosophers.

The Truth (A C Grayling) Introduction (A C Grayling) The Art of Always Being Right 1 Extension 2 Homonyms 3 Generalise your opponents specific statements 4 Conceal your game 5 False premises 6 Postulate what has to be proven 7 Yield admissions through questions 8 Make your opponent angry 9 Question in detouring order 10 Take advantage of the no-sayer 11 Generalise admissions of specific cases 12 Choose metaphors favourable to your proposition 13 Agree to reject the counter-argument 14 Claim victory despite defeat 15 Use seemingly absurd propositions 16 Use your opponents views 17 Defense through subtle distinction 18 Interrupt, break-up, divert the dispute 19 Generalise the matter, then argue against it 20 Draw conclusions yourself 21 Counter with an argument as bad as his 22 Beg the question 23 Make him exaggerate 24 State a false syllogism 25 Find the instance to the contrary 26 Turn the tables 27 Anger indicates a weak point 28 Persuade the audience, not the opponent 29 Diversion 30 Appeal to authority rather than reason 31 This is beyond me 32 Put his thesis into some odious category 33 It applies in theory, but not in practice 34 Dont let him off the hook 35 Will is more effective than insight 36 The Vicar of Wakefield 37 A faulty proof refutes his whole position 38 The ultimate strategy Appendix I Appendix II Appendix III Afterword (A C Grayling)