Definition: An amphiboly occurs when the construction of a sentence allows it to have two different meanings.
Examples:
- Last night I shot a burglar in my pyjamas.
- The Oracle of Delphi told Croseus that if he pursued the war he would destroy a mighty kingdom.
(What the Oracle did not mention was that the kingdom he destroyed would be his own. Adapted from Heroditus, The Histories.)
- Save soap and waste paper.
(From Copi, p. 115)
Proof: Identify the ambiguous phrase and show the two possible interpretations.
References: (Copi and Cohen: 114)
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