Unobtainable perfection 171
Elitism is something only a few benefit from, and tennis is something only
a few benefit from, so tennis is clearly elitist.
(Fault!)Unobtainable perfection
When the arguments for and against courses of action are asses-
sed, it is important to remember that the choice has to be made
from the available alternatives. All of them might be criticized for
their imperfections, as might the status quo. Unless one of the
options is perfect, the imperfections of the others are insufficient
grounds for rejection. The fallacy of unobtainable perfection is
committed when lack of perfection is urged as a basis for reject-
ion, even though none of the alternatives is perfect either.
We should ban the generation of nuclear power because it can never be
made completely safe.
(Also coal, oil and hydro-electric, all of which kill people every year in
production and use. The question should be whether nuclear power
would be better or worse than they are.)If none of the alternatives, including making no change at all, is
perfect, then imperfection is not grounds for a decision between
them. To the matter of that choice it is irrelevant. If used to
criticize only one option, it unfairly loads the case against that
choice because it could be applied to all of them.
I'm against going to the Greek islands because we cannot guarantee we
would enjoy ourselves there.
(When you do find a place for which this is guaranteed, let me know.)