Schopenhauer’s sarcastic essay The Art of Being Right (a manuscript published posthumously) goes in this direction. In it he suggests 38 rhetorical strategies to win a dispute by any means possible. E.g. your 3 corresponds to his 31, your 5 is similar to his 30, and your 7 to is similar his 18. Though he isn’t just focusing on avoiding losing arguments, but on winning them.
You may also, should it be necessary, not only twist your authorities, but actually falsify them, or quote something which you have invented entirely yourself. As a rule, your opponent has no books at hand, and could not use them if he had. The finest illustration of this is furnished by the French curé, who, to avoid being compelled, like other citizens, to pave the street in front of his house, quoted a saying which he described as biblical: paveant illi, ego non pavebo. That was quite enough for the municipal officers.
Of course it’s harder now given that people do have the internet at-hand, but I think I still see this tactic employed.
Schopenhauer’s sarcastic essay The Art of Being Right (a manuscript published posthumously) goes in this direction. In it he suggests 38 rhetorical strategies to win a dispute by any means possible. E.g. your 3 corresponds to his 31, your 5 is similar to his 30, and your 7 to is similar his 18. Though he isn’t just focusing on avoiding losing arguments, but on winning them.
It’s quite funny, thanks for the link!
Quoting from number 31:
Of course it’s harder now given that people do have the internet at-hand, but I think I still see this tactic employed.