The analogical fallacy 11
FRENCH PUSH BOTTLES UP GERMANS!
(Hand-to-hand combat, yes. But this is ridiculous.)
Use of the amphiboly with intent to deceive is a favourite
resort of oracles and fortune-tellers. A timely amphiboly enables
the prophet to hedge his bets, having it both ways. After the
outcome one can always take refuge in the meaning which was
fulfilled. Croesus asked the oracle what would happen if he
attacked Persia. The reply 'A mighty empire will be humbled' was
prophetic indeed. But it was his own.
To become a skilled perpetrator of amphibolies you must
acquire a certain nonchalance toward punctuation, especially
commas. You must learn to toss off lines such as 'I heard
cathedral bells tripping through the alleyways', as if it mattered
not a whit whether you or the bells were doing the tripping. You
should acquire a vocabulary of nouns which can be verbs and a
grammatical style which easily accommodates misplaced pro-
nouns and confusions over subject and predicate. The astrology
columns in popular newspapers provide excellent source
material.
The analogical fallacy
The analogical fallacy consists of supposing that things which are
similar in one respect must be similar in others. It draws a
comparison on the basis of what is known, and proceeds to
assume that the unknown parts must also be similar.
The body politic, like any other body, works best when there is a clear
brain directing it. This is why authoritarian governments are more
efficient.
