Argument in the alternative
Originating in the
Bart Simpson's classic "I didn't do it, no one saw me do it, you can't prove anything!" could be considered a somewhat humorous example of an argument in the alternative. In a more serious example, a lawyer might argue, not only that his client was elsewhere when a murder or other crime took place, but also that even if he had been on the scene, he would have had no way of accessing the alleged murder weapon. In this way, the lawyer attacks several premises of the prosecution's argument at once. The secondary line of reasoning might be presented to persuade a sub-audience who would not otherwise agree with the primary argument.
In regards to
Occasionally, such arguments can be confusing to some people, who perceive a self-contradiction or lack of honesty.[1] Generally speaking, this is a case of mistakenly thinking the argument claims both alternatives are true, when in reality it is claiming only that one or the other of them must be. But arguing in the alternative certainly heightens the complexity of any given presentation.[1]
See also
- Alternative pleading
- Kettle logic
- Disjunction elimination
- Hypothetical syllogism
- Paradigm case argument
References
- ^ a b c Margaret Elizabeth McCallum, Christina L. Kunz, Deborah A. Schmedemann, Synthesis: Legal Reading, Reasoning and Writing in Canada, CCH Canadian Limited (Toronto, 2003), p. 144.
- ^ Daniel Liss, "Today's real story: The Facebook monopoly", TechCrunch, August 19, 2021.
- ^ Khoury, Yamouni, D, Y S (2007). Understanding Contract Law. Australia: LexisNexis Butterworths.
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