126 How to Win Every Argument
(This looks and sounds like an argument, but it is really just a clever
way of saying that we should not sell arms to Malaysia because we
should not sell arms to anyone.)Poisoning the well
The most attractive feature of poisoning the well is that the
opposition is discredited before they have uttered a single word.
At its crudest, the fallacy consists in making unpleasant remarks
about anyone who might disagree with a chosen position. When
some willing victim steps forward to dispute that position, he
only shows that the unpleasant remarks apply to him,
Everyone except an idiot knows that not enough money is spent on
education.
(When someone comes forward to suggest that enough money is
being spent he identifies himself to the audience as the idiot in
question.)The whole discussion is fallacious because it invites acceptance or
rejection of the proposition on the basis of evidence which has
nothing to do with it. The claim is only an insult, offered without
evidence, and does not have to be accepted. Even if it were true,
we would still have to examine the argument on its merits.
Closer inspection shows that poisoning the well is a highly
specialized version of the ad hominem abusive. Instead of
insulting the arguer in the hope that the audience will be led to
reject his argument the well-poisoner sets up the insult for any-
one who might argue. It is cleverer than simple abuse because it
invites the victim to insult himself by drinking from the poisoned
well. In doing so, it discourages opposition.