If-by-whiskey
If-by-whiskey is a type of logical argument that uses a hypothetical situation to argue for or against a particular decision. It goes like this: Imagine a situation where two options are presented - one leads to good outcomes, while the other one leads to bad outcomes. If we choose the bad option, we can still get some good results, but only if we have some whiskey to help us through it.
A good example of this is prohibition - the law that banned the production, sale, and transportation of alcohol in the United States from 1920 to 1933. Supporters of prohibition argued that if people stopped drinking alcohol, society would become more civilized, crime would decrease, and families would be happier. However, many people continued to drink alcohol illegally, and this led to an increase in organized crime and violence.
The if-by-whiskey argument goes like this: "If you vote for prohibition, you will be making a mistake because people will still drink alcohol, but they will have to get it from criminals. But if we have whiskey available, we can at least take the edge off of the bad outcomes of prohibition and make our lives a little better."
In other words, the if-by-whiskey argument uses a hypothetical situation to show that it's better to choose the option that will lead to good outcomes, even if it's not the perfect solution. It shows that sometimes we have to compromise and find ways to make the best of a bad situation.
A good example of this is prohibition - the law that banned the production, sale, and transportation of alcohol in the United States from 1920 to 1933. Supporters of prohibition argued that if people stopped drinking alcohol, society would become more civilized, crime would decrease, and families would be happier. However, many people continued to drink alcohol illegally, and this led to an increase in organized crime and violence.
The if-by-whiskey argument goes like this: "If you vote for prohibition, you will be making a mistake because people will still drink alcohol, but they will have to get it from criminals. But if we have whiskey available, we can at least take the edge off of the bad outcomes of prohibition and make our lives a little better."
In other words, the if-by-whiskey argument uses a hypothetical situation to show that it's better to choose the option that will lead to good outcomes, even if it's not the perfect solution. It shows that sometimes we have to compromise and find ways to make the best of a bad situation.