by Chris Alexion, Copyright November 24, 2005, all rights reserved. 225 views
Equivocation, or bait-and-switch, occurs when we use a term in two different senses, blurring our argument just enough to make it sound good. But sounding good isn't enough. An equivocation smuggles a fourth term into an argument, which can only have three. For instance:
All cats have tails.
This skid loader is a Cat.
Therefore, this skid loader has a tail.
And it probably drinks milk, too. As you can see, the term cat has been used with two different definitions, rendering the argument invalid. Now for our real-life example:
"The cause we celebrate tonight [non-discrimination against sodomy] has defined this nation since its founding: to deepen the meaning of fundamental fairness, to live up to the ideals enshrined in our founding documents, and to build a good and just society on this bedrock principle: equal opportunity for all, special privileges for none.
"Elizabeth Birch has said it so powerfully: 'Equality is a special right–a right so special that for two-and-a-quarter centuries, it has motivated men and women to dream and to die and to animate the heart of America itself.' To Elizabeth's powerful words I would also add that equality is a basic right….A right so basic that if you live by the law and live up to your responsibilities–then nothing should stand in the way of your sharing in the full promise of the greatest nation on this earth.
"Unfortunately, barriers still do exist….[S]ome of the barriers are there for all to see–they're written into our laws….
"Today, in 38 states, you can be fired from your job because of who you are, not how hard you work. That's wrong, and we need to put an end to it by passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Right now, ENDA's got 44 senators sponsoring it. Senator Kennedy is holding a hearing on it this month…we're going to vote on it this year…and we're going to fight for it until it is the law of the land."
–Sen. Tom Daschle, Feb. 16, 2002 speech
Daschle uses the term equality to mean two different thigns. At first it means equality under the law, a basic American principle. Most of us agree with this concept, and like the word "equality." But when the term comes back up later in the argument, it means equality of results–a totally different concept.
There's possibly another equivoaction in Daschle's comments. Anyone care to guess?
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