[lbo-talk] jesuitical vs. talmudic [was: Unofficial de-Baathification process in Iraq Continues]

[Jim Devine]

>owing in part to English Protestant propagandists, the word
"Jesuitical" came to characterize a form of argument designed less to seek
the truth than to make a case, a form of argument that was aggressive and
clever but perhaps not always sincere--indeed, one that was at times
cunningly equivocal or downright deceitful. Aside from pure anti-Jesuit
animus, this nuance probably arose from the work of some 17th-century Jesuit
theologians who imperfectly employed a method known as "casuistry" in
resolving questions of moral theology--an approach that gave the broadest
possible leeway to individual behavior. <

My father was trained by Jesuits (until he broke with them; if he
hadn't, I wouldn't exist). He loved to argue with me and my
siblings... and used all sorts of tricks of argumentation in order to
win. These seem to have come from his training. One was the method of
changing the subject in the middle of an argument. I see that on
lbo-talk sometimes...

JD
"The status quo is the only solution that cannot be vetoed." -- Clark Kerr