MORTON’S FORK: A Hobson’s Choice & Paradox

By Staff Reporters

***

***

A Morton’s fork is a type of false dilemma in which contradictory observations lead to the same conclusion.

Morton’s Fork: Claims its origin from John Morton, the Archbishop of Canterbury, a public policymaker who used convoluted and contradictory logic to establish tax laws in the mid-15th century.

He contended that whoever lived humbly must be saving much money and hence would be able to pay higher taxes; and those that lived lavish lives were obviously rich, so they could also pay higher taxes.

In other words: a Hobsons Choice between two equally unpleasant alternatives.

COMMENTS APPRECIATED

Subscribe, Refer and Like

***

***