Aristotle Quotes About Arguing

• Some persons hold that, while it is proper for the lawgiver to encourage and exhort men to virtue on moral grounds, in the expectation that those who have had a virtuous moral upbringing will respond, yet he is bound to impose chastisement and penalties on the disobedient and ill-conditioned, and to banish the incorrigible out of the state altogether. For (they argue) although the virtuous man, who guides his life by moral ideals, will be obedient to reason, the base, whose desires are fixed on pleasure, must be chastised by pain, like a beast of burden.

  Aristotle

  Pain, Men, Law

• Not to know of what things one should demand demonstration, and of what one should not, argues want of education.

  Aristotle

  Demand, Want, Arguing

  Aristotle (2012). “The Metaphysics”, p.48, Roger Bishop Jones

• It is this simplicity that makes the uneducated more effective than the educated when addressing popular audiences-makes them, as the poets tell us, 'charm the crowd's ears more finely.' Educated men lay down broad general principles; uneducated men argue from common knowledge and draw obvious conclusions.

  Aristotle

  Men, Simplicity, Crowds

  Aristotle (2013). “The Essential Aristotle”, p.92, Simon and Schuster

• We ought to be able to persuade on opposite sides of a question; as also we ought in the case of arguing by syllogism: not that we should practice both, for it is not right to persuade to what is bad; but in order that the bearing of the case may not escape us, and that when another makes an unfair use of these reasonings, we may be able to solve them.

  Aristotle

  Order, Opposites, Practice

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