Kafka trap
The Kafka trap might also be called the SJW trap.
Author Eric Raymond coined the term Kafkatrapping in his 2010 article in which he presented a style of argument that is common today with SJW’s, but has it’s origins in The Trial a book written in 1915 by Franz Kafka.
In The Trial the protagonist is arrested and accused of serious crimes which are never specified. He receives no explanation or description of the charges, and his refusal to acknowledge that he must be guilty is what makes him guilty. The only way to stop his abuse is to admit that he is guilty.
What is the kafka trap?
In the kafka trap you are accused of being a:
- Racist
- Sexist
- Bigot
- Facist
- Homophobic
- Transphobic
- Islamophobic
- Misogynist
- Nazi
- Hitler
- etc.
…and any attempt to argue, deny or defend yourself is seen as proof of guilt.
Yep.
Denial is proof of guilt.
You’re guilty until proven innocent.
Any accusation of guilt is all that is needed to condemn you.
Eric Raymond laid out various models of kafkatraps in his 2010 article which I’ll share here.
Note: Kafkatrapping can be used against any perceived “ist” or “ism” (racism, sexism, homophobia etc.) however I’ll simply use the word racism here in the interests of space.
Model A
“Your refusal to acknowledge that you are guilty of racism, confirms that you are guilty of racism”
Model C
“Even if you do not feel yourself to be guilty of racism, you are guilty because you have benefited from the racist behavior of others in the system”
Model D
“The act of demanding a definition of racism that can be consequentially checked and falsified proves you are racist”
Model L
“Your insistence on applying rational skepticism in evaluating assertions of pervasive racism itself demonstrates that you are racist”
Model M
“The act of arguing against the theory of anti-racism demonstrates that you are either racist, or do not understand the theory of anti-racism, and your argument can therefore be dismissed as either corrupt or incompetent”
Model P
“Even if you do not feel yourself to be guilty of racism, you are guilty because you have a privileged position in the racist system”
Model S
“Skepticism about any particular anecdotal account of racism, or any attempt to deny that the particular anecdote implies a systemic problem in which you are one of the guilty parties, is itself sufficient to establish your guilt”
Model T
“Designated victims of racism who question any part of the theory of racism demonstrate by doing so that they are not authentic members of the victim class, so their experience can be discounted and their thoughts dismissed as internalized racism”
Men’s rights activist Adam Kostakis has defined a ninth model of the kafka trap, Model J:
Model J
“Even if your innocence is proven in a court of law, this not only confirms your guilt; it also confirms the guilt of the legal system that found you innocent”
In summary:
“You are now trapped in a circular and unfalsifiable argument; no one who is accused can be innocent because the structure of kafkatrapping precludes that possibility.” – Wendy McElroy
Just accept the ‘facts’:
- All white people are racist
- It’s impossible for a black person to be racist
- “Believe women” – or you’re a rape apologist
- Gender is a social construct
- There are no biological differences between men and women
- You have white privilege – regardless of your circumstances
- “All lives matter” – is hate speech
“Having shown how manipulative and psychologically abusive the kafkatrap is, it may seem almost superfluous to observe that it is logically fallacious as well. The particular species of fallacy is sometimes called “panchreston”, an argument from which anything can be deduced because it is not falsifiable. Notably, if the model A kafkatrap is true, the world is divided into two kinds of people: (a) those who admit they are guilty of thoughtcrime, and (b) those who are guilty of thoughtcrime because they will not admit to being guilty of thoughtcrime. No one can ever be innocent. The subject must be prevented from noticing that this logic convicts and impeaches the operator of the kafkatrap!” – Eric Raymond
How to deal with a kafka trap
If presented with a kafka trap don’t try to argue or deny it because your words will be twisted and used against you.
In fact, any attempt to argue, deny or defend yourself will be seen as proof of guilt, and SJW’s and trolls might say things like:
“Deny, Deny, Deny”
“There’s no smoke without fire”
“Me thinks thou dost protest too much”
My advice: Ignore it, and if possible put the shoe on the other foot and reverse the accusation. See how they like it.
“The kafkatrap is a form of argument that is so fallacious and manipulative that those subjected to it are entitled to reject it based entirely on the form of the argument, without reference to whatever particular sin or thoughtcrime is being alleged” – Eric Raymond
"and any attempt to argue, deny or defend yourself is seen as proof of guilt".
ReplyDeleteThat's a load of horse shit. Nobody is accusing you of racism based on nothing. You only like to portray it that way. You're the victim and your accusers are idiots. As opposed to you writing many things that clearly indicate your racism and being called out for it.
I have a PhD is Wokology. Do YOU?
ReplyDelete....and who said it was based upon nothing, Karnac?
ReplyDeleteThere is no such degree.
ReplyDeleteSure there is. It's a six minute video. ;)
ReplyDeleteIt's posted here in the first thread. You, too, can earn YOUR degree.
ReplyDeleteYou'd flunk out if any college offered such a degree.
ReplyDeleteDamn right I would. I've already got a BS degree.
ReplyDeleteNote to myself: Never buy "Magnesium Breakthrough".
ReplyDelete"I've already got a BS degree".
ReplyDeleteA degree in bullshit? That's obvious.
And an M.S. to boot!
ReplyDeleteMary Trump has a PhD. According to her, Dotard is a monster.
ReplyDelete...and I have a PhD in Wokeness. According to me, you are an idiot. :)
ReplyDeleteThere is no such degree. As I already pointed out. Proof that you are the idiot.
ReplyDeleteSure there is. It's merely unacreditted.
ReplyDeleteI think your degree is in bullshitology (also unaccredited), making you a bullshitologist.
ReplyDeleteNo, I avoided studying bullshitology until after I graduated.
ReplyDelete...from TrumpU?
ReplyDeleteUSMMA and USC.
ReplyDelete