Ipsedixitism is the pejorative term for an unsupported rhetorical assertion; the term in Logic for a missing argument. A word or phrase is pejorative if it expresses contempt or disapproval. ... Rhetoric (from Greek ρητωρ, rhêtôr, orator) is one of the three original liberal arts or trivium (the other members are dialectic and grammar). ... Logic (from ancient Greek λόγος (logos), meaning reason) is the study of arguments. ...

An ipsedixitism is not explicitly defined as an axiom, and certainly not as a "premise", but often appears as such in a syllogism like: "The economy needs more scientists, so expansion of science education will boost the future economy". The proposition rests on an ipsedixitism unless reasons are given that the "economy needs more scientists". In epistemology, an axiom is a self-evident truth upon which other knowledge must rest, from which other knowledge is built up. ... The word premise came from Latin praemisus meaning placed in front. See Premise (film) for an article discussing the use of the word in the film industry A premise (sometimes spelled premiss in philosophy) is a statement, usually put forth as part of a logical argument, that will be presumed... In traditional logic, a syllogism is an inference in which one proposition (the conclusion) follows of necessity from two others (known as premises). ... In modern philosophy, logic and linguistics, a proposition is what is asserted as the result of uttering a declarative sentence. ...

Etymology

Jeremy Bentham adapted the Latin "Ipse dixit" ("He, himself, said it") into the word ipsedixitism, which he coined to apply to all non-utilitarian political arguments. He believed that all such arguments (especially from 'natural laws') boiled down to unsupported assertions, and were, "conviction syndromes" ([1] (http://www.mega.nu/ampp/samuelson.html)). This is the word's origin in its modern sense. The earlier use of Ipsedixitism by the Averroists had a separate meaning, as their dialectic method. Jeremy Bentham (February 15, 1748–June 6, 1832) was an English gentleman, jurist, philosopher, eccentric, and legal and social reformer. ... Latin - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... Utilitarianism is a suggested theoretical framework for morality, law and politics, based on quantitative maximisation of some definition of utility for society or humanity. ... Averroism was a philosophical trend among scholastics in the late 1200s based on Averroës interpretations of Aristotle. ... Broadly speaking, a dialectic (Greek: διαλεκτική) is an exchange of propositions (theses) and counter-propositions (antitheses) resulting in a disagreement. ...

Typical causes of ipsedixitisms

• The ipsedixitism is a self-referential Appeal to authority. As in:
  • "Trust me..."
  • Without reasoning or citations, the first sentence in this definition would be an 'ipsedixitsm'.
• A naïve ipsedixitism is not intentional, such as:
  • The ipsedixitism is an implicit assumption, accidentally made explicit.
  • The ipsedixitism presumes general agreement, as in a homily.
  • The ipsedixitism is unstated dogma, or believed to be a matter of fact, e.g:

"As a human carcinogin, DDT must be banned worldwide."

• The ipsedixitism is a stubbornly unsupported repetition of a disputed claim, asserting the user's power¹ or disinterest in objections.
• The ipsedixitism is a deliberate sophistry, attempting to smuggle assertions into an argument.

Ipsedixitisms are given as though absolutely no supporting argument is necessary. One motivation for not supporting declarations is the hope that it will make the declaration less visible, particularly in an obfuscated chain of mathematical or legal reasoning. For instance, the 1998 Indiana tax court held that a particular 'formula' for rejecting tax adjustment appeals was the the "apotheosis of ipsedixitism", because no evidence was presented that this 'formula' reliably converted tax assessors' criteria into the conditions necessary for appeal rejection, the connection had simply been stated as a bald ipsedixitism in an obscure tax code sub-section. An appeal to authority is a type of argument in logic also known as argument from authority, argumentum ad verecundiam (Latin: argument from modesty) or ipse dixit (Latin: he himself, said it). ... A citation is a credit or reference to another document or source which documents both influence and authority. ... An assumption is a proposition that is assumed, i. ... A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. ... This article is on dogma in religion. ... DDT was developed as the first of the modern insecticides early in World War II. It was initially used with great effect to combat mosquitoes spreading malaria, typhus, and other insect-borne human diseases among both military and civilian populations. ... Sophism was originally a term for the techniques taught by a highly respected group of philosophy and rhetoric teachers in ancient Greece. ... Mathematics is commonly defined as the study of patterns of structure, change, and space; more informally, one might say it is the study of figures and numbers. Mathematical knowledge is constantly growing, through research and application, but mathematics itself is not usually considered a natural science. ... This article is about law in society. ... 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... State nickname: The Hoosier State Other U.S. States Capital Indianapolis Largest city Indianapolis Governor Mitch Daniels Official languages English Area 94,321 km² (38th)  - Land 92,897 km²  - Water 1,424 km² (1. ... A formula is a concise way of expressing information symbolically (as in a mathematical or chemical formula) or a general relationship between quantities. ...

Non-ipsedixitisms

The ideal Wikipedia article cites sources for every non-trivial claim, but a survey of random Wikipedia pages in April 2005 shows that fewer than two assertions in three give any reason to believe they are true beyond ipse dixit. Literally interpreted, this means that the majority of articles contain ipsedixitisms, and that ipsedixitisms are a very common problem. In fact, modern dictionaries dramatically narrow the class by associating it with arbitrary, dogmatic belief, implying that the argument has been repeated after having been challenged². For reasons of concision, assertions in slogans and sound bites rarely cite sources, or supporting argument, but are not automatically ipsedixitisms because they have been taken out of a context in which support was offered for them. Wikipedia is a Web-based, free-content encyclopedia, which is written collaboratively by volunteers. ... Llanfoist is a village in Monmouthshire, Wales. ... April is the fourth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four with the length of 30 days. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section should include material from Episteme Epistemology (from the Greek words episteme=science and logos=word/speech) is the branch of philosophy that deals with the nature, origin and scope of knowledge. ... This article is on dogma in religion. ... A slogan is a memorable phrase used in political or commercial context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose. ... In film and broadcasting, a soundbite is a very short piece of footage taken from a longer speech or an interview in which someone with authority says something which is considered by those who edit the speech or interview to be a most important point. ... ConTEXT is a freeware text editor directed at programmers. ...

To be an inpsedixitism a statement must be presented without the semblance of an argument. Any defense, even by fallacy or fraud, except self-reference, means that an assertion is not an ipsedixitism. In rhetoric an argument ad captandum, for capturing the gullibility of the naïve among the listeners or readers, is an unsound, specious argument, a kind of seductive casuistry. ... A logical fallacy is an error in logical argument which is independent of the truth of the premises. ... In the broadest sense a fraud is any crime (or civil wrong) for gain that utilises some deception practiced on the victim as its principal method. ...

As self-reference

Ipsedixitism is sometimes defined more loosely to include any self quotation, even when the original argument is well founded. In this case it can simply be a criticism of excessive pride or self-obsession.

Linking to this page externally to establish ipsedixitism's definition would then become an appeal to Wikipedia's authority, but would not be an ipsedixitism, despite depending on one. However, quoting yourself invites the ipsedixitsm label (that you yourself have made the original claim). Therefore, a link here from another Wikipedia page could be called an ipsedixitism, though this is generally done only when the statement is disputed. (Technically, all self-references are ipsedixitisms, but the term is only applied as criticism.) An appeal to authority is a type of argument in logic also known as argument from authority, argumentum ad verecundiam (Latin: argument from modesty) or ipse dixit (Latin: he himself, said it). ...

Ipse dixit

The Latin phrase is still commonly used as a synonym since the usage remains a literal translation; Mr A says that something is true because he says it is, and B tells C that this isn't good enough because only Mr A's own words back him up.

Rhetorical remedies

If faced with naïve Ipsedixitism, one solution is Socratic Irony, as this approach is likely to encourage the dogmatist to elaborate away from simple re-assertion of dogma, or to realize that assumptions have been made. On Wikipedia, all ipsedixitisms are presumed to be naïve, so a citation of a challenge to the assertion combined with a request to explain why the challenge is invalid should induce the ipsedixitism-user to elaborate. (For example see: This Wikipedia talk page.) Adolf Hitler: layered visual irony? Irony is a form of speech in which the real meaning is concealed or contradicted by the words used. ... This article is on dogma in religion. ... Wikipedia is a Web-based, free-content encyclopedia, which is written collaboratively by volunteers. ...

Footnotes

¹ Some political or philosophical doctrines hold that no truth exists beyond that approved by authorities (who may have the power to 'redefine reality'). In these systems, the authority's edicts are true because they are ipsedixitisms. An analogous role is played by review courts in modern legal systems with the power to re-interpret the law. For example, a 1997 dispute [ [2] (http://www.agecon.purdue.edu/crd/localgov/Second%20Level%20pages/Court122297.htm)] challenged the constitutionality of Indiana’s real property taxation system. The Indiana Supreme Court held that it violated the Indiana Constitution, because: Politics is the process and method of decision-making for groups of human beings. ... Philosophy (from the Greek words philos and sophia meaning love of wisdom) is understood in different ways historically and by different philosophers. ... Doctrine, from Latin doctrina, (compare doctor), means a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the body of teachings in a branch of knowledge or belief system. ... Relativism is the view that the meaning and value of human beliefs and behaviors have no absolute reference. ... This article is about law in society. ... 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Reef. ... Constitutionality is the status of a law, procedure, or act being in accordance with the laws or guidelines contained in a constitution. ... State nickname: The Hoosier State Other U.S. States Capital Indianapolis Largest city Indianapolis Governor Mitch Daniels Official languages English Area 94,321 km² (38th)  - Land 92,897 km²  - Water 1,424 km² (1. ...

"the only standard that is ascertainable is one of ipsedixitism: 1) value is whatever the State Board’s regulations declare it to be, and 2) the State Board’s regulations can be modified and interpreted in any manner that the State Board wishes." ([3]  (http://www.in.gov/judiciary/opinions/archive/112401.tgf.html))

² For example; this dissenting opinion to a 1976 safety commission report accuses two commissioners (Barnanko & Cleary) of relying on an unsupported assertion: 1976 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ...

"The same holds true for the Barnako-Cleary ipsedixitism - repeated again in this case - concerning the status of an unreviewed Judge's decision. Not once have they ever cited any authority for that assertion." ([4]  (http://www.oshrc.gov/decisions/html_1976/3841.html))