Not A Blog™

I like to argue. Or to put it in less antagonistic terms, I should say that I like to debate. An argument is two people shouting at each other, with neither listening. I like to think that debates are two people discussing with each other, and both listening, although depending on the debater’s personalities, it could just end up being more like an argument.

My first introduction to logic was in college. I took to it immediately. It provided definitions and a framework for things I was already trying to do—especially relating to logical fallacies. I think I may have been insufferable a few months after the class, because I wouldn’t hesitate to point out when someone used a fallacy, and I would show off by doing it via syllogism.

Only idiots use ad hominem attacks.
Your argument is nothing but an ad hominem.
Therefore, you are an idiot, biotch, Q.E.D.

(Note: No, I never actually did this. But now I kind of wish I did.)

So logic allowed me to more eloquently explain other people’s fallacies to them, but it didn’t necessarily give me the tools to argue effectively. That’s not to say it was a waste. However, until just recently, I was of the mindset that if something was logically fallacious, you shouldn’t use it in an argument, period. I still believe one should make it a point to be as logical as possible, but I’ve started to wonder if these fallacies weren’t good for something. I mean, they just keep hanging around.

Turns out they are.

Thank You For Arguing by Jay Heinrichs is a book about rhetoric. Rhetoric is one of those subjects everyone has heard of, but few consciously practice. It was some sort of Roman thing and the founding fathers probably used it, too. So educated guys argued a lot but called it rhetoric, and now today the only people who know anything about it today are stuffy college types, right? Well, maybe—but that doesn’t make it any less useful.

Rhetoric expands logic. It acknowledges the formal and informal forms, and is fully aware of when it commits a fallacy. Yet unlike error-averse logic, rhetoric is Machiavellian. It’s about the art of persuasion. It’s about winning the argument.

In essence, you can get away with committing fallacies so long as two things are true: 1) the other person doesn’t recognize them as fallacies and 2) they help you win. Obviously, this highlights the importance of having a grounding in logic and informal fallacies. The better your opponent knows them, the more logical it forces you to be, and vice versa. In addition to this pragmatism, rhetoric also involves presentation, positioning, flattery, appearance, and a plethora of sundry tactics. This is where Thank You For Arguing really shines. It covers all of these, plus dozens of things I’ve never thought of, much less considered.

The book is dense. It contains an incredible amount of information. It’s well organized, and it’s very conversational in tone, which makes it easy to read, but don’t be fooled: it is not light reading. As I was perusing through the bookstore, I came across it, and began to skim a section. Wow, there’s some really good stuff in here, I thought, followed soon after with, And it’s easily approachable. I bought it, expecting to learn a few things, and polish it off in an afternoon or two, as is my custom.

Fuhgeddabowdit. By the time I was a third of the way through, I felt like I had read three books. This is not one of those candied self-help books which offer one tip per chapter, and half of them don’t apply to you, anyway. This is brain bran. After you read a chapter, you need to put the book down and digest it. You’re going to want to do this, anyway, because there is something you can use on literally every page.

In fact, I haven’t actually finished the book yet. I’m comfortable writing this review because I’m far enough in to get the idea that every chapter has numerous subheads, and every subhead has numerous points, and they’re all really interesting. It’s a book buffet—a brain bran book buffet—where you can open to any page and just start reading, and immediately pick up some useful tidbit of information.

Of course I’m enjoying it. I’ve already decided that I’m going to need to reread the entire book as soon as I finish it; there’s a lot I missed, but it was an excellent purchase. I would recommend it to anyone who likes logic and debate, or is interested to see what the big deal with rhetoric is—but with one caveat. If you’re the sort of person who can become frustrated with information overload, you’re not going to want to dive in to Thank You For Arguing. It’s approachable, but you’re going to want to limit yourself to a chapter at a time, because there’s a lot. If you’re like me—used to burning through books in a few hours—you might be able to do this, only to realize you missed some really good stuff.

Either way, it’s a great resource for insight into rhetoric—that arcane discipline which most people are not even aware is still practiced, because it’s so prevalent.

-Ted