motte and bailey
nounEtymology
(form of argument): Coined by philosopher Nicholas Shackel.
Definitions
The predecessor of the European castle, having a raised earth mound (the motte) topped…
The predecessor of the European castle, having a raised earth mound (the motte) topped with a tower (or donjon), and a wooden ring fortification surrounding a courtyard (the bailey).
- Deepwood is a motte-and-bailey castle in the midst of thick forest, easy to creep up on unawares. A wooden castle, defended by an earthen dike and a palisade of logs.
A form of argument and an informal fallacy where an arguer conflates two similar…
A form of argument and an informal fallacy where an arguer conflates two similar positions, one modest and easier to defend (the "motte") and one much more controversial (the "bailey"), by advancing the controversial position, but when challenged, insisting that they are only advancing the more modest position.
The neighborhood
Vish — recursive loop
No curated loop yet for motte and bailey. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.
sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA