Philosophy of Argument: Use this tool
The next time you're involved in an argument with a person (as opposed to a lamp or guinea pig), here's a great weapon to keep in your arsenal: the redirect. It's name is derived from the move in martial arts where you take an opponent's hit and gracefully use their momentum to redirect the blow back towards them. It works well in martial arts and it works just as nicely in argumentation.
here's an example:
Person 1: Killer whales kill people! They are dangerous and we need to rethink whether or not humans should be interacting with them as pets and performers!
Person 2: No no no, orcas are friendly, intelligent creatures. When you hear about attacks and fatalities in the news, it is usually because the orcas are just playing. They don't mean to harm the people.
Person 1: Exactly! You are absolutely right and that's my case in point right there. Whether killer whales have intent or not, they are still dangerous!
Person 2: hmm, I'm in your corner now. Well done.
Ok, so the last comment is figurative. But this is what person 2 would probably be thinking...
See, what you do is you take one person's point or counterpoint, and you validate it and at the same time show how it actually supports your claim! If you are successful in this endeavor, the result is that your opponent has his/her argumentative fire minimized significantly and it forces them to teeter on the thought that you and him/her are really on the same page, but that you were just there first! I'm not saying that they won't still have a counterpoint afterwards, but if you use this tool, the likelihood of having a great counterpoint in light of your redirect will be greatly decreased.
It's a simple weapon to use, but it's hard to master. You can't use it often either. But when you see an opportunity, you attack!
here's an example:
Person 1: Killer whales kill people! They are dangerous and we need to rethink whether or not humans should be interacting with them as pets and performers!
Person 2: No no no, orcas are friendly, intelligent creatures. When you hear about attacks and fatalities in the news, it is usually because the orcas are just playing. They don't mean to harm the people.
Person 1: Exactly! You are absolutely right and that's my case in point right there. Whether killer whales have intent or not, they are still dangerous!
Person 2: hmm, I'm in your corner now. Well done.
Ok, so the last comment is figurative. But this is what person 2 would probably be thinking...
See, what you do is you take one person's point or counterpoint, and you validate it and at the same time show how it actually supports your claim! If you are successful in this endeavor, the result is that your opponent has his/her argumentative fire minimized significantly and it forces them to teeter on the thought that you and him/her are really on the same page, but that you were just there first! I'm not saying that they won't still have a counterpoint afterwards, but if you use this tool, the likelihood of having a great counterpoint in light of your redirect will be greatly decreased.
It's a simple weapon to use, but it's hard to master. You can't use it often either. But when you see an opportunity, you attack!
Labels: argument, momentum, philosophy, redirect, tool
