[Peace-discuss] Keywords V042719

[Szoke, Ron]

Keywords  V042719
An occasional review of some terms that may be useful in political analysis & polemics

scurrilous, sophistry, captious, specious  

scur·ri·lous  (skûr′ə-ləs, skŭr′-)   adj.
1. Given to the use of vulgar, coarse, or abusive language.
2. Expressed in vulgar, coarse, or abusive language.
3. Of a malicious or slanderous nature; defamatory: "The law affords them wide First Amendment protection ... even when they write scurrilous lies" (Richard Curtis).

1. grossly or obscenely abusive or defamatory
2. characterized by gross or obscene humour
[C16: from Latin scurrīlis derisive, from scurra buffoon]

1. grossly or obscenely abusive.
2. coarsely jocular or derisive.
[1570–80; < Latin scurrīlis jeering, derivative of scurra buffoon]

sophistry noun
: subtly deceptive reasoning or argumentation
Sophistry Has Roots in Greek Philosophy
The original Sophists were ancient Greek teachers of rhetoric and philosophy prominent in the 5th century B.C. In their heyday, these philosophers were considered adroit in their reasoning, but later philosophers (particularly Plato) described them as sham philosophers, out for money and willing to say anything to win an argument. Thus sophist (which comes from Greek sophistēs, meaning "wise man" or "expert") earned a negative connotation as "a captious or fallacious reasoner." Sophistry is reasoning that seems plausible on a superficial level but is actually unsound, or reasoning that is used to deceive.  

Sophism:  an argument apparently correct in form but actually invalid
	especially : such an argument used to deceive
		— M-W online

Sophist:  1. (Philosophy) (often capital) one of the pre-Socratic philosophers who were itinerant professional teachers of oratory and argument and who were prepared to enter into debate on any matter however specious
2. a person who uses clever or quibbling arguments that are fundamentally unsound

cap·tious  (kăp′shəs)  adj.
1. Marked by a disposition to find and point out trivial faults: a captious scholar.
2. Intended to entrap or confuse, as in an argument: a captious question.

>  Compare: nit-picking, pedantry — RSz.  

spe·cious  (spē′shəs)  adj.
1. Having the ring of truth or plausibility but actually fallacious: a specious argument.
2. Deceptively appealing: "It is easy enough to give the old idea [of programmatic music] a specious air of modernity" (Aaron Copland).

1. apparently correct or true, but actually wrong or false
2. deceptively attractive in appearance

1. apparently true or right though lacking real merit; not genuine.
2. deceptively attractive.
3. Obs. pleasing to the eye.

>  Compare: plausibility, truthiness (sounding like it ought to be true)  — RSz.