eristic
American Heritage Dictionary:
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e·ris·tic
(ĭ-rĭs'tĭk) 
also e·ris·ti·cal (-tĭ-kəl)
adj.
Given to or characterized by disputatious, often specious argument.
n.
also e·ris·ti·cal (-tĭ-kəl)adj.
Given to or characterized by disputatious, often specious argument.
n.
- One given to or expert in dispute or argument.
- The art or practice of disputation and polemics.
[Greek eristikos, from erizein, to wrangle, quarrel, from eris, erid-, strife.]
Roget's Thesaurus:
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eristic
adjective
- Given to arguing: argumentative, combative, contentious, disputatious, litigious, polemic, polemical, quarrelsome, scrappy. See conflict/cooperation.
Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy:
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eristic
(Greek, conflict) Reasoning that aims not at truth but at victory over an opponent or at making a weaker position prevail.
Obscure Words:
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eristic
pertaining to dispute, argument or controversy; argumentative, controversial
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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Eristic
Eristic, from the ancient Greek word Eris meaning wrangle or strife, often refers to a type of argument where the participants fight and quarrel without any reasonable goal.
The aim usually is to win the argument and/or to engage into a conflict for the sole purpose of wasting time through arguments, not to potentially discover a true or probable answer to any specific question or topic. Eristic is arguing for the sake of conflict as opposed to the seeking of conflict resolution. [1]
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Philosophical Eristic
Plato often contrasted this type of argument with the dialectical method and other more reasonable and logical methods (e.g., at Republic 454a). In the dialogue Euthydemus, Plato satirizes eristic.
Different from Plato, Schopenhauer considers that only logic pursues truth. For him, dialectic, sophistry and eristic have no objective truth in view, but only the appearance of it, and pay no regard to truth itself because it aims at victory. He names these three last methods as "eristic dialectic (contentious argument)."[2]
According to Schopenhauer, Eristic Dialectic is mainly concerned to tabulate and analyze dishonest stratagems[3], so that they may at once be recognized and defeated, in order to continue with a productive dialectic debate. It is for this very reason that Eristic Dialectic must admittedly take victory, and not objective truth, for its selfish aim and purpose.
Argumentation theory
Argumentation theory is a field of study that asks critical questions about eristic arguments and the other types of dialogue.
See also
Notes
- ^ H. D. Rankin (1983). Sophists, socratics and cynics p233-237
- ^ Controversial Dialectic on CoolHaus.de accessed at January 19, 2008
- ^ In his Dialectica Eristica Schopenhauer presents 38 eristic stratagems
References
- Schopenhauer, Arthur. Eristische Dialektik, 1830.
External links
- Arthur Schopenhauer's Eristische Dialektik:
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American Heritage Dictionary
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Roget's Thesaurus
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 byHoughton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy
The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy. Copyright © 1994, 1996, 2005 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
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