sophistic
Cleverly but falsely
Sophistic means employing clever but misleading reasoning—arguments that sound persuasive but rest on fallacies or verbal tricks.
The word derives from the ancient Greek Sophists, teachers of rhetoric who prioritized winning debates over finding truth.
A sophistic argument might technically follow logical form while obscuring or distorting the real issue: His sophistic defense impressed the jury but evaded the central question of guilt.
Applying principles to particulars
- equivocationAmbiguous language avoiding commitment
- speciousSuperficially plausible but flawed
- spuriousFalse though appearing genuine
- fallaciousContaining faulty reasoning
captious · eristic · quibbling · hair-splitting · misleading · deceptive · disingenuous · fraudulent
Art of persuasive language
- oratoryFormal eloquent discourse
- eloquencePersuasive verbal grace
- persuasionConvincing through reasoning
- dialecticLogical argument through opposition
disputation · debate · polemic · argumentation · forensics · declamation · speechmaking · silver-tongued
Greek thought before dialectics
- relativismContext-dependent truth doctrine
- skepticismDisposition toward doubt
- SocraticRelating to elenctic inquiry
- PlatonicOf the Forms philosopher
dialectic · epistemology · rhetoric · pedagogy · itinerant · teacher · Athenian
Formal deductive argument structure
- paradoxSeemingly absurd truth
- antinomyContradiction between valid conclusions
- contradictionOpposing claims, incompatible together
- ambiguityOpenness to multiple interpretations
casuistry
Applying principles to particulars
- equivocationAmbiguous language avoiding commitment
- speciousSuperficially plausible but flawed
- spuriousFalse though appearing genuine
fallacious · captious · eristic · quibbling · hair-splitting · misleading · deceptive · disingenuous · fraudulent · deceitful
rhetoric
Art of persuasive language
- oratoryFormal eloquent discourse
- eloquencePersuasive verbal grace
- persuasionConvincing through reasoning
dialectic · disputation · debate · polemic · argumentation · forensics · declamation · speechmaking · silver-tongued · smooth-talking
pre-Socratic
Greek thought before dialectics
- relativismContext-dependent truth doctrine
- skepticismDisposition toward doubt
- SocraticRelating to elenctic inquiry
Platonic · dialectic · epistemology · rhetoric · pedagogy · itinerant · teacher · Athenian
syllogism
Formal deductive argument structure
- paradoxSeemingly absurd truth
- antinomyContradiction between valid conclusions
- contradictionOpposing claims, incompatible together
sophisticated, sophistry, sophistication, sophisticate, sophist, sophistical, sophisticates, sophists