The Art of Being Right
by Arthur Schopenhauer · first published 2015
21mentions
7recommended by
21HN commenters
2012–2025first – last mentioned
33% recommend67% neutral
Why HN recommends it
A short, cynical catalogue of 38 rhetorical tricks for winning an argument regardless of truth. It covers debate tactics and fallacies, and is written with dry humor for anyone new to the subject.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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Ad hominem aren't always a logical fallacies, and, in this case, might not bet at all. Ad Personam are. You should read Eristic Dialectics: The Art Of Being Right by Arthur Schopenhauer. Saying he is biased because he is a java-only programmer isn't clearly a wrong statement, and it doesn't mean he's totally wrong either. Just saying, but that's not the point…
on “LightTable detailed critique: Concept vs Reality” ↗Read Schopenhauer „The Art of Being Right: 38 Ways to Win an Argument”. It’s a short read, but mind opening if you’re new to the subject. If it seems too long then just read some shortened version. If you still have some time after that then…
on “Ask HN: What's the most valuable thing you can learn in an hour?” ↗This reminds me of Schopenhauer's (rather funny) essay The Art of Being Right where he exposes various strategies by which people can be right, without actually being right. You can find an English translation here: http://coolhaus.de/art-of-controversy/
on “Philosophical Landmines (2013)” ↗https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Art_of_Being_Right is the updated and 'modern' version of this. The power of Schopenhauer: Eristic Dialectic!
on “Sophist” ↗The Art of Being Right - Schopenhauer
on “Ask HN: Book under 100 pages that changed your life the most?” ↗There is just the book for him: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Art_of_Being_Right
on “Illusory Truth Effect” ↗The classic "The art of being right" [1] describes 38 different options to win an argument war. Fantastically cynical book. Highly recommended! [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Art_of_Being_Right
…nothing worse happened) or b) no one in your company cared about that inappropriate slide, in which case your company has terrible culture. (here gbog is using the 3rd stratagem from Schopenhauer's "Art of Being Right": "Generalize Your Opponent's Specific Statements")
on “On failing our values, our team, and our industry” ↗The second part reminds me of Schopenhauer's "Eristische Dialektik" (discourse stratagems): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Art_of_Being_Right
on “Techniques for dilution, misdirection and control of a internet forum (2012)” ↗I guess they didn't like Schopenhauer's eristic dialectic. "The Art of Being Right: 38 Ways to Win an Argument" https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Art_of_Being_Right
on “Your Logical Fallacy Is” ↗…tactics we would have been done with it at least twice by now: first when Socrates was arguing with Sophists 2500 years ago and another time when Schopenhauer wrote Eristic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Art_of_Being_Right. And before you think 'maybe someone doesn't know yet': yes, you are correct. Someone doesn't know. We tried telling everyone before and just trying harder doesn't seem to cut it. What, I'd argue, would…
on “The endgames of bad faith communication” ↗Reminds me of an idea in Schopenhauer's "The Art of Being Right". He says that, when you argue against someone who is part of a cult, you can use his cult's beliefs in the argumentation against him (because he's supposed to admit them as truths). However, he cannot…
on “The Pirate Bay Reports Anti-Piracy Outfit to the Police” ↗Also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Art_of_Being_Right , "The Art of Being Right: 38 Ways to Win an Argument (1831) [...] written by the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer in sarcastic deadpan." Rhetorical training was a paying job back in the days…
on “Logical fallacies” ↗It may be off topic, but this article remembers me of something I read in the The Art of Being Right by Arthur Schopenhauer. He sais that being rigth (in German: Recht haben) and being proven right (in German: Recht behalten) are two different things. Even if you are rigth you can be proven wrong in…
on “What no one talks about when running and selling a business” ↗I have to read Schopenhauer's "The Art of Being Right" again. Hail Eris!All Hail Discordia! ΤΗΙ ΚΑΛΛΙΣΤΗΙ
on “Beginner's Guide to Arguing Constructively” ↗