31 July 2013

sophistry

[sof-uh-stree]

noun, plural soph·ist·ries.

1. a subtle, tricky, superficially plausible, but generally fallacious method of reasoning.
2. a false argument; sophism.

Example:

‘He (Justice Tony Fitzgerald) more or less said (to lawyers in the Royal Commission he was chairing into corruption in Queensland), “once you start the sophistry, I’ll sit you down because you’re here to help me find the truth and we’re not going to find it with those little tricks of sophistry you use” ‘.

– Evan Whitton, ABC Radio National,  Late Night Live, ‘Our Legal Flaws’, 30 July 2013.

Origin:
1300–50; Middle English sophistrie < Middle French, equivalent to sophistre sophister + -ie -y3

Related forms
an·ti·soph·ist·ry, noun

Today’s aphorism

In trouble to be troubled, is to have your trouble doubled.

– Daniel Defoe

On this day

31 July 1703 – Daniel Defoe, author of ‘Robinson Crusoe‘, is put in the pillory for committing ‘seditious libel’ after publishing a politically satirical pamphlet entitled ‘The shortest-way with dissenters; Or, proposals for the establishment of the church‘, which was critical of the establishment of the church and the practice of ‘occasional conformity’, in which dissenters could attend church once a year and still qualify as members of the Church of England. Whilst in the pillory, Defoe was pelted with flowers rather than the usual fruit and vegetables.

31 July 1965 – birthday of Joanne (J.K.) Rowling, author of the ‘Harry Potter‘ series. In 2006 a minor planet was named after her: ’43844 Rowling’.