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{{Short description|Rhetorical technique}} {{Short description|Rapid-fire argument rhetorical technique}}
⚫ {{use dmy dates |date=February 2023}}The '''Gish gallop''' ({{IPAc-en|'|g|ɪ|ʃ|_|'|g|æ|l|ə|p}}) is a ] technique in which a person in a ] attempts to overwhelm an opponent by presenting an excessive number of arguments, with no regard for their accuracy or strength, with a rapidity that makes it impossible for the opponent to address them in the time available. Gish galloping prioritizes the quantity of the galloper's arguments at the expense of their quality.
{{use dmy dates |date=February 2023}}
⚫ The '''Gish gallop''' ({{IPAc-en|'|g|ɪ|ʃ|_|'|g|æ|l|ə|p}}) is a ] technique in which a person in a ] attempts to overwhelm an opponent by abandoning formal debating principles, providing an excessive number of arguments with no regard for the accuracy or strength of those arguments and that are impossible to address adequately in the time allotted to the opponent. Gish galloping prioritizes the quantity of the galloper's arguments at the expense of their quality.


⚫ The term "Gish gallop" was coined in 1994 by the anthropologist ] who named it after the American ] ], dubbed the technique's "most avid practitioner".{{sfnm|Scott|2004|1p=23|Scott|1994}}
== Name origin ==
⚫ The term, "Gish gallop", was coined in 1994 by anthropologist ], who named it after American creationist ]. Scott argued that Gish used the technique frequently when challenging the ].{{sfnm|Scott|2004|1p=23|Scott|1994}}


== Strategy == == Strategy ==
During a Gish gallop, in a short space of time the galloper confronts an opponent with a rapid series of specious arguments, ], misrepresentations, and outright lies that makes it impossible for the opponent to refute all of them within the format of the debate.{{sfnm|Logan|2000|1p=4|Sonleitner|2004}} Each point raised by the Gish galloper takes considerably more time to refute or to fact-check than the amount of time taken to state each one in the series. This technique is known online as ]{{sfn|Hayward|2015|p=67}} and frequently is referred to as "the bullshit asymmetry principle". That element of the technique also is referred to as spewing a ]. During a typical Gish gallop, the galloper confronts an opponent with a rapid series of ], ], misrepresentations and outright ]s, making it impossible for the opponent to refute all of them within the format of the debate.{{sfnm|Logan|2000|1p=4|Sonleitner|2004}} Each point raised by the Gish galloper takes considerably longer to refute than to assert. The technique wastes an opponent's time and may cast doubt on the opponent's debating ability for an audience unfamiliar with the technique, especially if no independent ] is involved, or if the audience has limited knowledge of the topics.{{sfn|Grant|2011|p=74}}


The difference in effort between making claims and refuting them is known as ]{{sfn|Hayward|2015|p=67}} or informally "the bullshit asymmetry principle". Another example is ].
The technique wastes an opponent's time and may cast doubt on the opponent's debating ability for an audience unfamiliar with the technique, especially if no independent ] is involved, or if the audience has limited knowledge of the topics.{{sfn|Grant|2011|p=74}}


== Countering the Gish gallop == == Countering the Gish gallop ==
British journalist ] suggests using three steps to beat the Gish gallop:<ref>{{cite podcast|first=Mehdi|last=Hasan|url=https://cafe.com/stay-tuned/debating-101-with-mehdi-hasan/|title=Stay Tuned with Preet, Debating 101|date=March 16, 2023}}</ref> ], a ], suggests using three steps to beat the Gish gallop:<ref>{{cite podcast|first=Mehdi|last=Hasan|url=https://cafe.com/stay-tuned/debating-101-with-mehdi-hasan/|title=Stay Tuned with Preet, Debating 101|date=March 16, 2023}}</ref>


# Because there are too many falsehoods to address, it is wise to choose one as an example. Choose the weakest, dumbest, most ludicrous argument that the galloper has presented and tear that argument to shreds ("the weak point rebuttal"). # Because there are too many falsehoods to address, it is wise to choose one as an example. Choose the weakest, dumbest, most ludicrous argument that the galloper has presented and tear that argument to shreds ("the weak point rebuttal").
# Do not budge from the issue or move on until having decisively destroyed the nonsense and clearly made the counter point. # Do not budge from the issue or move on until having decisively destroyed the nonsense and clearly made the counter point.
# Call out the strategy by name, saying: "This is a strategy called the 'Gish Gallop' — do not be fooled by the flood of nonsense you have just heard." # Call out the strategy by name, saying: "This is a strategy called the 'Gish Gallop'—do not be fooled by the flood of nonsense you have just heard."


Generally, it is more difficult to use the Gish gallop in a structured debate than a free-form one.{{sfn|Johnson|2017|pp=14–15}} If a debater is familiar with an opponent who is known to use the Gish gallop, the technique may be countered by pre-empting and refuting the opponent's commonly used arguments before the opponent has an opportunity to launch into a Gish gallop.{{sfn|Grant|2015|p=55}} Generally, it is more difficult to use the Gish gallop in a structured debate than a free-form one.{{sfn|Johnson|2017|pp=14–15}} If a debater is familiar with an opponent who is known to use the Gish gallop, the technique may be countered by pre-empting and refuting the opponent's commonly used arguments before the opponent has an opportunity to launch into the Gish gallop.{{sfn|Grant|2015|p=55}}


== See also == == See also ==

Latest revision as of 00:06, 4 December 2024

Rapid-fire argument rhetorical technique

The Gish gallop (/ˈɡɪʃ ˈɡæləp/) is a rhetorical technique in which a person in a debate attempts to overwhelm an opponent by presenting an excessive number of arguments, with no regard for their accuracy or strength, with a rapidity that makes it impossible for the opponent to address them in the time available. Gish galloping prioritizes the quantity of the galloper's arguments at the expense of their quality.

The term "Gish gallop" was coined in 1994 by the anthropologist Eugenie Scott who named it after the American creationist Duane Gish, dubbed the technique's "most avid practitioner".

Strategy

During a typical Gish gallop, the galloper confronts an opponent with a rapid series of specious arguments, half-truths, misrepresentations and outright lies, making it impossible for the opponent to refute all of them within the format of the debate. Each point raised by the Gish galloper takes considerably longer to refute than to assert. The technique wastes an opponent's time and may cast doubt on the opponent's debating ability for an audience unfamiliar with the technique, especially if no independent fact-checking is involved, or if the audience has limited knowledge of the topics.

The difference in effort between making claims and refuting them is known as Brandolini's law or informally "the bullshit asymmetry principle". Another example is firehose of falsehoods.

Countering the Gish gallop

Mehdi Hasan, a British journalist, suggests using three steps to beat the Gish gallop:

  1. Because there are too many falsehoods to address, it is wise to choose one as an example. Choose the weakest, dumbest, most ludicrous argument that the galloper has presented and tear that argument to shreds ("the weak point rebuttal").
  2. Do not budge from the issue or move on until having decisively destroyed the nonsense and clearly made the counter point.
  3. Call out the strategy by name, saying: "This is a strategy called the 'Gish Gallop'—do not be fooled by the flood of nonsense you have just heard."

Generally, it is more difficult to use the Gish gallop in a structured debate than a free-form one. If a debater is familiar with an opponent who is known to use the Gish gallop, the technique may be countered by pre-empting and refuting the opponent's commonly used arguments before the opponent has an opportunity to launch into the Gish gallop.

See also

References

  1. Scott 2004, p. 23; Scott 1994.
  2. Logan 2000, p. 4; Sonleitner 2004.
  3. Grant 2011, p. 74.
  4. Hayward 2015, p. 67.
  5. Hasan, Mehdi (16 March 2023). "Stay Tuned with Preet, Debating 101" (Podcast).
  6. Johnson 2017, pp. 14–15.
  7. Grant 2015, p. 55.

General and cited sources

Propaganda techniques
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