The Art of Always Being Right book cover

The Art of Always Being Right by A.C. Grayling Summary

The Art of Always Being Right
A.C. Grayling
Philosophy
Communication skill
Psychology
Overview
Key Takeaways
Author
FAQs

Overview of The Art of Always Being Right

Ever wondered why some people always win arguments? Schopenhauer's controversial guide, edited by Grayling, reveals 38 devious rhetorical tactics that Boris Johnson endorses and the Financial Times warns readers about. Master the dark art that made the Observer recommend "keep this delightful essay at your side."

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Key Takeaways from The Art of Always Being Right

  1. Schopenhauer's 38 stratagems teach winning arguments through psychological manipulation tactics.
  2. The Art of Always Being Right prioritizes victory over truth.
  3. Grayling edits Schopenhauer's classic treatise on rhetorical persuasion techniques.
  4. Confidence and assertiveness often outweigh factual correctness in debates.
  5. Making your opponent angry exposes their weakest argumentative positions.
  6. Defensive maneuvers protect your stance by preemptively addressing weaknesses.
  7. Eristic dialectic focuses on winning controversy rather than discovering truth.
  8. Analogies create mental shortcuts that strengthen your argument's perceived validity.
  9. Deflection redirects difficult questions away from vulnerable positions effectively.
  10. Undermining opponent credibility shifts focus from arguments to personal inadequacies.
  11. The Art of Always Being Right reveals how rhetoric trumps logic.
  12. Schopenhauer's work teaches claiming victory even when defeated in debate.

Overview of its author - A.C. Grayling

Anthony Clifford Grayling is a British philosopher, author, and editor of The Art of Always Being Right, a translation and presentation of Arthur Schopenhauer's classic essay on rhetoric and argumentation. Born in 1949 in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia), Grayling is recognized as one of Britain's leading public intellectuals, specializing in philosophy, ethics, and the history of ideas. He served as Professor of Philosophy at Birkbeck, University of London for two decades before founding New College of the Humanities in 2011.

With over 30 books to his name—including The God Argument, Democracy and its Crisis, and The History of Philosophy—Grayling bridges academic philosophy and accessible public discourse.

A former Guardian columnist and BBC presenter, he is a vice-president of Humanists UK and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. In 2017, he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to philosophy. His works have established him as a trusted voice on reason, ethics, and critical thinking.

Common FAQs of The Art of Always Being Right

There appears to be a confusion in the book attribution. Who actually wrote "The Art of Always Being Right"?

"The Art of Always Being Right" was written by Arthur Schopenhauer, not A.C. Grayling.

Who is A.C. Grayling?

A.C. Grayling is a British philosopher and author born in 1949 who has written over 30 books on philosophy, biography, history of ideas, human rights and ethics, including works like The Refutation of Scepticism (1985), What Is Good? (2000), The Meaning of Things (2001), The Good Book (2011), The God Argument (2013), and Democracy and its Crises (2017). He was Professor of Philosophy at Birkbeck, University of London until 2011, when he founded New College of the Humanities.

What is "The Art of Always Being Right"?

"The Art of Always Being Right" is a completely separate work by Arthur Schopenhauer (a 19th-century German philosopher) that contains 38 stratagems or rhetorical tactics for winning arguments. The book has received mixed reviews with an average rating of 3.42/5.

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