[George]

SOPHISTRY & CASUISTRY

{Dictionary Definition - Underlines by G.A.}

Aloha to all on the Forum,

If you will – please read the following definitions and see if they don’t apply to certain people who have joined this Forum over the past few months:


Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
soph·ist·ry - noun, plural -ries.

1. a subtle, tricky, superficially plausible, but generally fallacious method of reasoning.
2. a false argument; sophism.


American Heritage Dictionary
soph·is·try - n. pl. soph·is·tries

1. Plausible but fallacious argumentation.
2. A plausible but misleading or fallacious argument.

WordNet
sophistry – noun

a deliberately invalid argument displaying ingenuity in reasoning in the hope of deceiving someone [syn: sophism]


Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
Sophistry

Soph"ist*ry\, n. [OE. sophistrie, OF. sophisterie.]
1. The art or process of reasoning; logic. [Obs.]
2. The practice of a sophist; fallacious reasoning; reasoning sound in appearance only.

The juggle of sophistry consists, for the most part, in using a word in one sense in the premise, and in another sense in the conclusion. --Coleridge.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
cas·u·ist·ry – noun, plural -ries.

1. specious, deceptive, or oversubtle reasoning, esp. in questions of morality; fallacious or dishonest application of general principles; sophistry.

2. the application of general ethical principles to particular cases of conscience or conduct.


American Heritage Dictionary
ca·su·ist·ry
n. pl. ca·su·ist·ries

1. Specious or excessively subtle reasoning intended to rationalize or mislead.
2. The determination of right and wrong in questions of conduct or conscience by analyzing cases that illustrate general ethical rules.

WordNet
casuistry - noun

1. argumentation that is specious or excessively subtle and intended to be misleading
2. moral philosophy based on the application of general ethical principles to resolve moral dilemmas


Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
Casuistry

Cas"u*ist*ry\, a. 1. The science or doctrine of dealing with cases of conscience, of resolving questions of right or wrong in conduct, or determining the lawfulness or unlawfulness of what a man may do by rules and principles drawn from the Scriptures, from the laws of society or the church, or from equity and natural reason; the application of general moral rules to particular cases.

The consideration of these nice and puzzling question in the science of ethics has given rise, in modern times, to a particular department of it, distinguished by the title of casuistry. --Stewart.

Casuistry in the science of cases (i.e., oblique deflections from the general rule). --De Quincey.

2. Sophistical, equivocal, or false reasoning or teaching in regard to duties, obligations, and morals.


Our “friend” (I use the word “loosely”) ericwgreene fits the above description perfectly, and that is why I called him a “Sophist”. I try not to use words carelessly or make accusations lightly, BUT, there comes a time to “call a spade a spade” and let the cards fall where they may.

People, like ericw, do not come to this Forum to “edify” or to “learn” – they come to debate and argue (as evidenced by the number of Posts they post per day). Our “friend” ericw has an astounding 14+ posts per day! It is a sad and tragic fact of life that the U.S.A. has become a nation of Sophists (due to the government school system & media), which simply means that practically everyone is their own FINAL AUTHORITY in all matters.

After dealing with Sophists and Casuists for 50 years, I have discovered that there is NO “cure” for Sophistry & Casuistry, and there is NO “changing” a Sophist! You CANNOT win an argument with a Sophist, and unless God intervenes they will remain that way their entire lives.

Once I find out a man (or woman) is a Sophist I cease dealing with them (there is NO PROFIT in endless debate or arguments) and once they find out that I refuse to engage them, they move on seeking their next “victim” to mislead and deceive.

A SOPHIST: {Dictionary Definition}

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
soph·ist - noun

1. often initial capital letter! Greek History.

a. any of a class of professional teachers in ancient Greece who gave instruction in various fields, as in general culture, rhetoric, politics, or disputation.

b. a person belonging to this class at a later period who, while professing to teach skill in reasoning, concerned himself with ingenuity and speciouseffectiveness rather than soundness of argument.

2. a person who reasons adroitly and speciously rather than soundly.

3. a philosopher


American Heritage Dictionary
soph·ist – n.

1. 1. One skilled in elaborate and devious argumentation.
   2. A scholar or thinker.
2. Sophist Any of a group of professional fifth-century B.C. Greek philosophers and teachers who speculated on theology, metaphysics, and the sciences, and who were later characterized by Plato as superficial manipulators of rhetoric and dialectic.
3. 
   [Middle English sophiste, from Latin sophista, from Greek sophistēs, from sophizesthai, to become wise, from sophos, clever.]

Online Etymology Dictionary
sophist

1542, earlier sophister (c.1380), from L. sophista, sophistes, from Gk. sophistes, from sophizesthai "to become wise or learned," from sophos "wise, clever," of unknown origin. Gk. sophistes came to mean "one who gives intellectual instruction for pay," and, contrasted with "philosopher," it became a term of contempt. Ancient sophists were famous for their clever, specious arguments.


WordNet
sophist

1. any of a group of Greek philosophers and teachers in the 5th century BC who speculated on a wide range of subjects

2. someone whose reasoning is subtle and often specious [syn: casuist]

A CASUIST: {Dictionary Definition}

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
cas·u·ist – noun

1. an oversubtle or disingenuous reasoner, esp. in questions of morality.
2. a person who studies and resolves moral problems of judgment or conduct arising in specific situations.


American Heritage Dictionary
ca·su·ist – n.

A person who is expert in or given to casuistry.


Online Etymology Dictionary
casuist
1609, "one who studies and resolves cases of conscience," from Fr. casuiste, from L. casus (see case (1)). Often in a sinister or contemptuous

"Casuistry ... destroys, by distinctions and exceptions, all morality, and effaces the essential difference between right and wrong." [Bolingbroke, 1736]

WordNet
casuist - noun

someone whose reasoning is subtle and often specious


Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
Casuist

Cas"u*ist\, n. [L. casus fall, case; cf. F. casuiste. See Casual.]

One who is skilled in, or given to, casuistry.

The judgment of any casuist or learned divine concerning the state of a man's soul, is not sufficient to give him confidence. --South.

sense. Casuistry is first attested 1725.

Our "friend" ericw is a Calvinist Philosopher, who will not be "persuaded" of the truth, even if we were to spend the whole of the remaining year trying to show it to him. He will persist with his heresies and false teachings as long as we persist in dealing with him. Remember: We cannot change a Sophist; and we cannot win an argument with a Sophist! They have no interest in the TRUTH, their only interest is to "argue" and "debate"!

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" [Jeremiah 17:9]