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| '''Gish gallop''' is a term for a ] method that focusses on overwhelming one's opponent with as many arguments as possible, without regard for accuracy or strength of the arguments; it is considered a fallacious technique.<ref name="Marcovici">{{harvnb|Marcovici|2013|p=39}}</ref> The term was coined by ] and named after the ] ].<ref name="scott2004">{{harvnb|Scott|2004|p=23}}</ref><ref name="scott1994">{{harvnb|Scott|1994}}</ref> | |||
| #REDIRECT ] | |||
| The Gish gallop allows a debater to hit their opponent with a rapid series of many specious arguments, half-truths and misrepresentations in a short space of time, which makes it impossible for the opponent to refute all of them within the format of a formal debate. In practice, each point raised by the "Gish galloper" takes considerably more time to refute or fact-check than it did to state in the first place, which wastes the opponent's time and can cast doubt about their debating ability in an audience unfamiliar with the technique, especially if no independent fact-checking is involved.<ref name="grant2011">{{harvnb|Grant|2011|p=74}}</ref> | |||
| It is generally more difficult to use the Gish gallop in a structured debate than a free-form one.<ref name="johnson">{{harvnb|Johnson|2017|p=14-15}}</ref> If one is familiar with an opponent who is known to use the Gish gallop, the technique can be countered somewhat by preempting and refuting their commonly used arguments before they have the chance.<ref name="grant2015">{{harvnb|Grant|2015|p=55}}</ref> | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| ==References== | |||
| ;Notes | |||
| {{reflist}} | |||
| ;Sources | |||
| *{{cite book|first=John|last=Grant|title=Denying Science: Conspiracy Theories, Media Distortions, and the War Against Reality|year=2011|publisher=Prometheus Books|ISBN=9781616144005}}</ref> | |||
| *{{cite book|first=John|last=Grant|title=Debunk it: How to Stay Sane in a World of Misinformation|publisher=Zest Books|year=2015|ISBN=978-1-936976-68-3|page=55|place=San Francisco}}</ref> | |||
| *{{cite web|series=Perspectives on Harmful Speech Online|editor-last=Gasser|editor-first=Urs|publisher=]|last=Johnson|first=Amy|title=The Multiple Harms of Sea Lions|page=14|url=https://cyber.harvard.edu/sites/cyber.harvard.edu/files/2017-08_harmfulspeech.pdf|year=2017}}</ref> | |||
| *{{cite book|last=Marcovici|first=Michael|title=Lesson Learned?: Nuclear Energy after Fukushima|year=2013|publisher=Books on Demand|ISBN=3732202747}}</ref> | |||
| *{{cite book|last=Scott|first=Eugenie C.|url=https://ncse.com/book/export/html/1914|title=Confronting Creationism|series=Reports of National Center for Science Education|volume=24/6|year=2004}}</ref> | |||
| {{cite web|url=http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/debating/globetrotters.html|title=Debates and the Globetrotters|last=Scott |first=Eugenie|year=1994|publisher=]|accessdate=2017-10-06|authorlink=Eugenie Scott}} | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
Revision as of 02:26, 6 October 2017
Gish gallop is a term for a debating method that focusses on overwhelming one's opponent with as many arguments as possible, without regard for accuracy or strength of the arguments; it is considered a fallacious technique. The term was coined by Eugenie C. Scott and named after the creationist Duane T. Gish.
The Gish gallop allows a debater to hit their opponent with a rapid series of many specious arguments, half-truths and misrepresentations in a short space of time, which makes it impossible for the opponent to refute all of them within the format of a formal debate. In practice, each point raised by the "Gish galloper" takes considerably more time to refute or fact-check than it did to state in the first place, which wastes the opponent's time and can cast doubt about their debating ability in an audience unfamiliar with the technique, especially if no independent fact-checking is involved.
It is generally more difficult to use the Gish gallop in a structured debate than a free-form one. If one is familiar with an opponent who is known to use the Gish gallop, the technique can be countered somewhat by preempting and refuting their commonly used arguments before they have the chance.
See also
References
- Notes
- Marcovici 2013, p. 39
- Scott 2004, p. 23
- Scott 1994
- Grant 2011, p. 74
- Johnson 2017, p. 14-15
- Grant 2015, p. 55
- Sources
- Grant, John (2011). Denying Science: Conspiracy Theories, Media Distortions, and the War Against Reality. Prometheus Books. ISBN 9781616144005.</ref>
- Grant, John (2015). Debunk it: How to Stay Sane in a World of Misinformation. San Francisco: Zest Books. p. 55. ISBN 978-1-936976-68-3.</ref>
- Johnson, Amy (2017). Gasser, Urs (ed.). "The Multiple Harms of Sea Lions" (PDF). Perspectives on Harmful Speech Online. Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society. p. 14.</ref>
- Marcovici, Michael (2013). Lesson Learned?: Nuclear Energy after Fukushima. Books on Demand. ISBN 3732202747.</ref>
- Scott, Eugenie C. (2004). Confronting Creationism. Reports of National Center for Science Education. Vol. 24/6.</ref>
Scott, Eugenie (1994). "Debates and the Globetrotters". Talk Origins Archive. Retrieved 2017-10-06.
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