A dilemma can feel like a trap, but a valid argument is only as good as its premises. Since the classic dilemmas are valid, answering one means challenging a premise. Rhetoric teachers named three ways to do it. (Calling the choice too narrow is the same move you studied in False Dilemma.)
- Escaping between the horns: show a third option the "or" premise left out, so the disjunction is false.
- Grasping a horn: deny one of the conditionals; show that one option does not lead where the arguer claims.
- Offering a counterdilemma: build a new dilemma from the same options with a different (often cheerful) conclusion.
Key idea
A valid dilemma can only be answered by showing that a premise is false or doubtful: the disjunction (between the horns) or a conditional (grasping a horn). A counterdilemma does not refute; it shows another way to look at the same choice.
Why it works
Validity guarantees that true premises give a true conclusion. So if you want to reject the conclusion, you must find a premise to reject; complaining about the form gets nowhere. Escaping between the horns attacks the "or"; grasping a horn attacks an "if". A counterdilemma leaves both standing and changes the emphasis, which is why it persuades but does not prove the original wrong.
Worked examples
Worked example: Between the horns
Dilemma: "If we leave early, we wait an hour; if we leave late, we miss the song; we leave early or late." Reply: "We could leave at a middle time." Which way of answering is it?
- The reply offers a third option the "or" premise ignored.
- It denies the disjunction.
Answer: escaping between the horns
Worked example: A counterdilemma
Reply to the same dilemma: "If we leave early, we get the best seats; if we leave late, we skip the long line. Either way, we gain something."
- The reply keeps the same two options.
- It draws a new, cheerful conclusion from new conditionals.
Answer: a counterdilemma
Common mistake
Answering a valid dilemma by calling it invalid. A valid dilemma can only be answered by showing one of its premises is false. Check: first ask whether the form is a correct constructive or destructive dilemma; if it is, look for a third option or a weak "if … then".
Some dilemmas cannot be escaped between the horns because the options are a statement and its denial ("Either Sam admits it or he keeps quiet"). Then only grasping a horn or a counterdilemma remains.