PHI 2000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Eristic, Sophist
Document Summary
Good vs. bad ways to argue: eristic vs. dialectic. Traveling teachers: many subjects, some became famous and rich, short courses for a free. Claimed to teach skills to help the young succeed: poltics, persuasive speaking- in law courts. A fight: conflict carried out in words, goal: to win, by any means necessary. A part of rational inquiry: provide reasons for your claim, prove your point- demonstrate truth, something you build, subject to rules- logic, evidence. Teachers of: martial arts- physical fighting, verbal fighting- for public success. Argument for them is a fight- eristic: eristic- methods for winning arguments, win by any means necessary, contradict opponent"s point, confuse or fluster opponent, destroy their claim skeptically. How the trick works : a cook"s job is chopping, skinning and roasting, doing one"s job is the proper thing to do. Therefore: the proper thing to do is to chop, skin and roast cooks.
