Naivety

"Tiger By the Tail."

I remember being surprised to learn that the Army requires an internal police force to detect criminal activities within its own ranks. There are even plainclothes officers who have uniforms but rarely wear them. Surely members of a disciplined, uniformed, armed service uphold the values that they are sworn to defend? No. It is naive in the extreme to believe that everything in society is as it is claimed to be.

Prince Cerdic:

"'Oh, we have our evil persons, but they are few and the custom of private challenges keeps them few.'" (p. 252)

A custom of private challenges, as opposed to the rule of law, is barbaric! And Cedric's claim is a non sequitur. Is it only the evil that are challenged and only they that are killed in duels? (Cerdic's claim might become circular, i.e., he might claim that death in a duel is proof of evil intent.)

His rosy account of Scothan society continues:

evil persons are few;

their evil is straightforward - just lawlessness or rapacity! - by contrast with Terran deceit;

most Scothani abide by their code;

no true male breaks an oath, deserts a comrade, betrays his lord or lies on his word of honor;

females are kept under control and know their place;

youths respect the gods and the king, fight and speak truth.

 

That phrase, "no true male," is the "No true Scotsman" argument:

 

"All Scotsmen wear kilts."

"But Jim McGregor's a Scotsman and he doesn't wear a kilt!"

"Then Jim McGregor is not a true Scotsman!"

 

What sounded like an empirical generalization turns out to have been an idiosyncratic definition.

 

Flandry will explain that their denial of general dishonesty leaves the Scothani open to it. Each individual follows Flandry's devious advice without reflecting that others might meanwhile do likewise. End of Schothani Empire.