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Hedging As a Fallacy of Language*

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Hedging As a Fallacy of Language* Informal Logic X.3, Fall 1988 Hedging as a Fallacy of Language* GARY JASON Orange Coast College While there has been considerable pro­ fallacy of hedging: a claim which is gress in the study of fallacies over the twen­ reasonably qualified at the beginning of the ty years since the publication of Hamblin's dialogue gets systematically weakened as excellent monograph on the subject, the the dialogue proceeds to avoid the thrust of treatment of the fallacies of language still counterevidence. In our paradigm, A simply remains much as it has always been. The will not come to grips with the substantial usual suspects-equivocation, amphiboly, evidence B has offered that Henry is not accent, composition, and division-are selfish. A's final weak claim is totally unin­ rounded up, and covered in an abbreviated formative: anybody "can be" selfish, but fashion. In this paper I would like to discuss is Henry selfish in fact? Contrast this with another fallacy of language, hedging, with honest and non-fallacious backing down an eye to broadening our view of fallacies (i.e., retraction of an initial claim): A ought of language. Specifically, I want to ac­ simply to have said, "I can't at the moment complish three things. First, I want to con­ recall the incidents which lead me to think vince the reader that hedging is indeed com­ that Henry is selfish. Let me think about mon (and so should be added to the admit­ it. Maybe I'm wrong." tedly burgeoning list of standard fallacies). Consider next this sample dialogue: Second, I want to give an adequate A: I believe that a true Christian is going theoretical (i.e., linguistic) treatment of the to be less likely to commit crimes than fallacy. Third, I want to show how the stan­ a Moslem in the same circumstances. dard treatment of fallacies of language can B: That seems ridiculous to me. Look at the be modified to include not only hedging, high crime rate in the U.S.A., which is but other fallacies as well. a predominantly Christian country, and The fallacy of which I speak is ex­ compare it to any Moslem country. emplified by the following paradigm A: Ah, but the U.S.A. is different from dialogue: Moslem countries in that those countries have harsh laws. A: Henry is a totally selfish man. B: I don't find him so-he once helped me B: Well, okay then, just look at the U.S.A. find a job. Moslems in the U.S.A. have a lower crime rate than the general Christian A: Well, about things that affect his wallet, population. he is totally selfish. A: Yes, but the so-called Christian popula­ B: Yet he has on many occasions loaned tion includes many people who are not money to his friends. true Christians. A: Well, about matters that affect his wallet In this paradigm, A puts forward a pro­ he can be very selfish. vocative claim, but hedges it round with the In this simple dialogue, A puts forward weasel words "true", and "so-called," a claim, and then systematically evades B's which allow A to make it completely counterevidence by weakening the initial unclear to whom the term' 'Christian" ap­ claim. This is the first paradigm for the plies. (The phrase "weasel word" is a col- 170 Gary Jason loquial expression denoting qualifying are backing, which advocates not only phrases and detensifiers. Those are defin­ assassinations of Sandinistas but the hir­ ed below.) Thus B' s legitimate attempts to ing of criminals to assassinate the guer­ test A's claim with relevant evidence are rillas we are supporting in order to create martyrs. Is this not in effect our own frustrated. One wants to shout at A, "Look, state-supported terrorism? do you genuinely believe that Christians are less criminally inclined than Moslems? Reagan: No, but I'm glad you asked that question because I know it's on Then allow us to bring some facts to bear many people's minds. I have on the issue. Otherwise, shut up and don't ordered an investigation; I know insult the Moslems." Again, contrast A's that the C.I.A. is already going hedging with honest and non-fallacious forward with one. We have a backing down (i.e., retraction). A could gentleman down in Nicaragua who simply have said "Well, maybe I'm wrong. is on military tactics, the Contras. Let me check into some statistics and we'll And he drew up this manual. It was turned over to the agency head of talk later." Temporarily retracting one's the C.I.A. in Nicaragua to be claim until he or she has better evidence for printed, and a number of pages it is a logically acceptable way to save face; were excised by that agency head hedging is not. there, the man in charge, and he Looking at the paradigms given above, sent it on up here to the C.I.A., then, we can define roughly the fallacy of where more pages were excised before it was printed. But some hedging as the systematic weakening of a way or other, there were 12 of the claim, or the putting forward of an original copies that got out down unreasonably restricted initial claim, so as there and were not submitted for to avoid refutation. We will tighten this this printing process by the C.I.A. definition later. Now those are the details as we It might fairly be asked whether the have them, and as soon as we have fallacy of hedging, defined as above, is so an investigation and find out where any blame lies for the few that did frequently committed in ordinary argumen­ not get excised or changed, we cer­ tation as to merit placing it on the list of tainly are going to do something "standard fallacies." The lexicon of about that. We'll take the proper fallacies is already large, and so the burden action at the proper time ... of proof is on the proposer of an addition Q: Well, Mr. President, you are implying to that lexicon to give some reason for fur­ then that the C.I.A. in Nicaragua is ther expansion. directing the Contras there. I'd also like In defense of adding hedging to the to ask whether having the C.I.A. in­ rogue's gallery of fallacies, I would point vestigate its own manual in such a sen­ sitive area is not sort of like sending out how common it is for politicians to the fox into the chicken coop a second hedge in debates and news conferences to time. avoid taking positions which will cost them Reagan: I'm afraid I misspoke when I said votes. Consider these examples from the se­ there is a C.I.A. head in cond Reagan/Mondale presidential debate: Nicaragua. There's not someone Example I: there directing all of this activity. There are, as you know, C.I.A. Q: Mr. President, in the last few months it men stationed in other countries in has seemed more and more that your the world, and certainly in Central policies in Central America were begin­ America, and so it was a man ning to work. Yet just at this moment we down there in that area that this are confronted with the extraordinary was delivered to. And he recogniz­ story of the C. I. A. guerrilla manual for ed that what was in that manual the anti-Sandinista Contras, whom we was a direct contravention of my Hedging 171 own executive order in December guarantees are often so heavily qualified as of 1981, that we would have to be virtually useless. For example, one nothing to do with regard to manufacturer of color photographic film political assassinations. I guaranteed for quality puts the guarantee as In the first question, Reagan was asked follows: about a provocative pamphlet allegedly pro­ This product, if defective in manufacture, duced by the C.I.A. His answer inadver­ labeling, packaging or shipping, or if tantly revealed that the C.I.A. had a man damaged by us, will be replaced with like in charge of the military tactics of the Con­ fresh film or purchase price refunded, at our tras. When pressed, he hedged by saying option. This is your exclusive remedy and there are C.I.A. men all over, and "it was the limit of all contract or tort liability. Since color dyes may change in time, no warran­ a man down there in that area it was ty against any color change is expressed or delivered to." implied. This film will not be replaced or Example 2: purchase price refunded for any change in color. Q: You've been quoted as saying that you might quarantine Nicaragua. I'd like to A guarantee for color film which is hedg­ know what that means. Would you stop ed to be optional at the will of the manufac­ Soviet ships as President Kennedy did in turer and to not apply to changes in color 1962 and wouldn't that be more is a pretty worthless guarantee. Contrast this dangerous than President Reagan's with a completely unhedged guarantee by covert war? Gillette Corporation for its razors: "Com­ Mondale: What I'm referring to there is the plete shaving satisfaction guaranteed or mutual self-defense provisions Gillette will replace free of charge or re­ that exist in the inter-American treaty, the so-called Rio Pact, that fund full purchase price." No qualifications permits the nations, our friends in are put forth, and the option for return lies that region, to combine to take solely with the customer.
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