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A motte is a stone keep on a raised earthwork common in early medieval fortifications. More pertinently, it's an element in a rhetorical move called a "Motte-and-Bailey", originally identified by philosopher Nicholas Shackel. It describes the tendency in discourse for people to move from a controversial but high value claim to a defensible but less exciting one upon any resistance to the former. He likens this to the medieval fortification, where a desirable land (the bailey) is abandoned when in danger for the more easily defended motte. In Shackel's words, "The Motte represents the defensible but undesired propositions to which one retreats when hard pressed." On The Motte, always attempt to remain inside your defensible territory, even if you are not being pressed.
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Hi
User ID: 4320
But how did you learn about the obscure stuff? Is it from blogs and books, or do you use Wikipedia? That's how I know about a bunch of obscure topics, but only because it's an encyclopedia where you can learn about the basics of something fast.
What if it kills 99% of humanity, but not extinction?
They can flee there if needed, it's in the name after all.
And before that, maybe you'd have to go back all the way to Hitler, Tojo, and Hirohito
Castro?
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But how did you learn about the obscure stuff? Is it from blogs and books, or do you use Wikipedia? That's how I know about a bunch of obscure topics, but only because it's an encyclopedia where you can learn about the basics of something fast.
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