![]() The best example of this are the articles claim 60-300 papers published in a certain time frame refute global warming, supported global cooling, etc. This argument does not actually attempt to quote or use information from a specific source but rather throws a multitude of sources at the opponent which the Galloper claims prove the point. Each one of these claims would take a paragraph or more to refute, but only takes a small phrase to actually make.Ī variant of the Gish Gallop that is particularly prevalent in internet arguments is the argument with a thousand different claims and a thousand different sources for each claim. In either case, the Galloper proclaims that the existing claims cannot be refuted because they are true, and that they have won the argument.įor example, A Gish Galloper attempting to deny the Holocaust might bring up the fact that the Nuremberg evidence was all forged, that Auschwitz did not contain crematoria, that there was no single document proclaiming the Holocaust, that German documents do not list as many Jews that died in Auschwitz as people claim, that Anne Frank’s diary was written after World War II, that Anne Frank was not a real person, that victims cannot die from asphyxiation from diesel engines, etc. It takes too much effort to refute each claim, so some claims are left intact or the argument may go un-refuted in its entirety. ![]() It’s a basic tenet of logic that disproving a claim takes more effort than making a claim, and the Galloper relies on this fact to make as many claims as possible. The term was originally used mainly in formal debates, but has since expanded to informal debates as wellĮssentially the Gish Gallop functions because of the low level of effort that the Gish-Galloper has to put in to make his or her claim versus the high amount of effort that the person arguing with the Galloper has to put in to refute the Galloper’s claim. Gish who was notorious for using this tactic in his debates on evolution versus creation. A Gish Gallop is an argumentative tactic where an individual seeks to overwhelm his or her opponent with a large number of arguments/ sources without considering the strength or relevance of a specific individual argument/ source. If you’ve been around the internet for long enough, chances are you’ve seen someone use the Gish Gallop even if you haven’t recognized it. A new series where I try and break down common argument tactics (or commonly claimed argument tactics), including disingenuous arguments, logical fallacies and the like, and explain what they are, how to recognize them, and how to avoid making them yourself.
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