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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> '''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>


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> 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,<ref name=>{{harvnb|Hayward|2015|p=67}}</ref> 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> 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>
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;Sources ;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=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 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|place=San Francisco}}</ref>
*{{cite book|first=C.J.S.|last=Hayward|title=The Seraphinians: '"Blessed Seraphim Rose" and His Axe-Wielding Western Converts|publisher=Zest Books|year=2015|series=The Collected Works of C.J.S. Hayward|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 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=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 book|last=Scott|first=Eugenie|url=https://ncse.com/book/export/html/1914|title=Confronting Creationism|series=Reports of National Center for Science Education|volume=24/6|year=2004|authorlink=Eugenie Scott}}</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}} *{{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 02:34, 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
  1. Marcovici 2013, p. 39
  2. Scott 2004, p. 23
  3. Scott 1994
  4. Hayward 2015, p. 67
  5. Grant 2011, p. 74
  6. Johnson 2017, p. 14-15
  7. Grant 2015, p. 55
Sources
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