The State’s Favorite Fallacy: The Cudgel In A Suit – OpEd

By Thiago V. S. Coelho

Argumentation theorists in the pragma-dialectical tradition start from a simple requirement for any reasonable dispute-resolution: the parties must be free to advance standpoints and call standpoints into question. That’s their “Freedom Rule.” They also treat classic “relevance fallacies” (threats, guilt-trips, personal attacks) not as mere lapses in etiquette, but as moves that block the confrontation stage—the very stage where differences have to be stated clearly so they can be tested on the merits.