Two wrongs make a right
 |
This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. (Consider using more specific cleanup instructions.) Please help improve this article if you can. The talk page may contain suggestions. (April 2011) |
 |
Look up two wrongs don't make a right in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
Two wrongs make a right is an English phrases and a logical fallacy that occurs when it is assumed that if one wrong is committed, another wrong will cancel it out.
- Speaker A: You shouldn't embezzle from your employer. It's against the law.
- Speaker B: My employer cheats on their taxes. That's against the law, too!
The unstated premise is that breaking the law (the wrong) is justified, as long as the other party also does so. It is often used as a red herring, or an attempt to change or distract from the issue. For example:
- Speaker A: President Williams lied in his testimony to Congress. He should not do that.
- Speaker B: But you are ignoring the fact that President Roberts lied in his Congressional testimony!
Even if President Roberts lied in his Congressional testimony, that does not make it acceptable for President Williams to do so as well. (At best, it means Williams is no worse than Roberts.) By invoking the fallacy, the contested issue of "lying" is ignored.
The tu quoque fallacy is a specific type of "two wrongs make a right". Accusing another person of not practicing what they preach, while appropriate in some situations, does not in itself invalidate an action or statement that is perceived as contradictory.
Contents |
[edit] Two wrongs don't make a right
Two wrongs don't make a right is the proverb that contradicts this logical fallacy. It means that a wrongful action is not a morally appropriate way to correct or cancel a previous wrongful action.[1]
