Aristotle and an Aardvark Go to Washington: Understanding Political Doublespeak through Philosophy and Jokes by Thomas Cathcart, Daniel Klein
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(Hardcover - Bargain)
- Pub. Date: January 2008
- 196pp
- Sales Rank: 18,677
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Product Details
- Pub. Date: January 2008
- Publisher: Abrams,Harry N Inc
- Format: Hardcover, 196pp
- Sales Rank: 18,677
- ISBN-13: 9781615598618
- ISBN: 1615598618
- Edition Description: Bargain
Synopsis
Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein, authors of the national bestseller Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar, aren't falling for any election year claptrap--and they don't want their readers to either! In Aristotle and an Aardvark Go to Washington, our two favorite philosopher-comedians return just in time to save us from the double-speak, flim-flam, and alternate reality of politics in America.
Deploying jokes and cartoon as well as the occasional insight from Aristotle and his peers, Cathcart and Klein explain what politicos are up to when they state: "The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence." (Donald Rumsfeld), "It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is." (Bill Clinton), or even, "We hold these truths to be self-evident…" (Thomas Jefferson, et al).
Drawing from the pronouncements of everyone from Caesar to Condoleeza Rice, Genghis Kahn to Hillary Clinton, and Adolf Hitler to Al Sharpton. Cathcart and Klein help us learn to identify tricks such as "The Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy" (non causa pro causa) and the "The Fallacy Fallacy" (argumentum and logicam). Aristotle and an Aardvark is for anyone who ever felt like the politicos and pundits were speaking Greek. At least Cathcart and Klein provide the Latin name for it (raudatio publica)!
Biography
Tom Cathcart and Daniel Klein pursued the usual careers after majoring in philosophy at Harvard. Tom worked with street gangs in Chicago and dropped in and out of various divinity schools. Dan wrote jokes for comedians, including Flip Wilson and Lily Tomlin, designed stunts for Candid Camera, and continues to pen thrillers. Each lives with his wife in New England
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Aristotle and an Aardvark Go to Washington: Understanding Political Doublespeak through Philosophy aby Anonymous
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February 25, 2008: What better illustrations of purposely misleading, wrongheaded arguments could one find than those proposed by politicians? This book is about teaching to think and to evaluate logically. If you have read more formal works about the rules of argumentation and are ready for illustrations to help better understand them, then this is the book. One should avoid this book if she has any healing cracked ribs. As far as political leaning, it's like a shooting gallery, one shoots at the things that are visible. Neither party has a monopoly on twisting the facts to fit the platform.
Aristotle and an Aardvark Go to Washington: Understanding Political Doublespeak through Philosophy aby Anonymous
Reader Rating:
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January 25, 2008: This book is no more philosophical than it's authors are philosophers and it is no more comedic than it's authors are comedians. The book is more banal punditry mostly towards the right with a few jabs at the liberals. If you are in the middle of the political spectrum you probably won't enjoy any of this read.
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