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Because it's not just equivocation. Read more of the actual original definition/usage of motte-and-bailey. Motte-and-bailey isn't just an argumentative form, i
by jlawson 2y ago
Because it's not just equivocation. Read more of the actual original definition/usage of motte-and-bailey.
Motte-and-bailey isn't just an argumentative form, it's also a political strategy. It's people pushing/doing controversial thing A but every time they get called on it they bring up uncontroversial thing B. Or, they even retreat to thing B, but then when the pressure is off they come back out and start pushing/doing thing A again.
"Equivocation" covers a wide variety of situations, but motte-and-bailey is more specific and includes the notions of a strategy executed over time which includes action.
- thaumasiotes 2y agoYou haven't actually described any differences between the terms. (Well, you did claim one, that "motte-and-bailey is more specific", but combined with your appeal to "actual usage", that is clearly untrue.)
- anankaie 2y agoMotte-and-Bailey speaks to equivocating about positions in argument. There are many other ways to equivocate, e.g. over the meaning of a single word, used in multiple ways in the same argument, as opposed to a retreat to an easier-to-defend position over the initial one presented/being discussed - as in the thread above. The relationship between the two words is akin to the one between “rectangle” and “square”.