The Art of Always Being Right

A.C. Grayling is one of Britain’s 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 opponent’s 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 opponent’s 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 Don’t 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)