Word: argumentative
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Dates: during 1870-1879
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...legitimate outcome of the doctrine of evolution is certainly superficial." Superficial writings have certainly the merit of being easily understood, and if such were here the case, the epithet would indeed be welcome; but this profound specialist seems to have failed to comprehend the whole bearing of the argument. The "elaborate application of Mr. Spencer's doctrine" consisted in a passing reference, seven lines in length, to prove that a modern specialist needs a highly differentiated mind. The rest of the argument - maintaining that specialization was not the object of an academic course, and thus accounting for our collegiate indifference...
...argument he reasons a posteriori, from a priori grounds, to put it paradoxically; for it is usually considered the first duty of an inductive reasoner to collect data, but this investigator shows a truly Spinozan disregard for mere facts. In order, therefore, to disentangle his argument from the maze of rhetorical rhapsody in which, like the fabled cuttle-fish of the deep, he shrouds his thought, an analysis is necessary. We find, then...
...proved. If this is the development of reason fished from the ultramarine depths of modern thought, we may save ourselves the trouble of classifying it; for it is an exceedingly nasty creature, and was known to our old-fogy ancestors under the name of gratuitous invective. However, such argument has the merit of being easily confuted. As the premises and the conclusions are identical, we suppress both by denying, with varying degrees of earnestness, all the former, - speaking comparatively, of course, with reference to any other secular college; for we should hesitate to predicate anything concerning the relation...
Knemidology may to-day be brought to bear upon female equestrians. If the bloomer costume be introduced, the new science will be as applicable to women as to men; and this is to me a strong argument in favor of the proposed innovations in female attire. But, even supposing the fashions to remain as they are, I hold that I can support my pretensions to reading character in general fully as well as the average phrenologist; and, as neither his science nor mine satisfactorily solve the problems which may arise concerning women, I should venture to suggest that they might...
This marvellous transformation scene was loudly applauded; Diogenes, however, with a cynical smile refused an encore, and retired from the ring, rolling the Tub before him. A jocose argument between Cebes and Socrates followed in regard to the probability of possibility, in which Cebes was thoroughly discomfited, for Socrates convicted him of reasoning in a circle, on the ground that he was arguing in a ring...