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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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I would also like to breathe that air. What reason do we have to believe that this is safe given the tremendous record of health disasters that are only recognized decades after the fact? Sounds like a high-risk solution.
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I would also like to breathe that air. What reason do we have to believe that this is safe given the tremendous record of health disasters that are only recognized decades after the fact? Sounds like a high-risk solution.
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