Straw Man
A straw man is a debating move: you swap your opponent's real argument for a weaker, distorted version — one that's easier to knock down — and then attack that instead, as if you'd beaten the original.
Full definition of Straw Man →:: COMPARE ::
Straw manvsSteel man
The short answer
A straw man distorts your opponent's argument into a weaker version to attack; a steel man restates it in its strongest form before responding. One replaces the argument with something weaker; the other restates it at its strongest.
Side by side
| Aspect | Straw man | Steel man |
|---|---|---|
| Does what | Weakens the argument | Strengthens it |
| Faith | Bad faith, or careless | Good faith |
| Goal | Look like you won | Actually engage |
| Result | Nothing resolved | Real progress |
What each one means
Steel man
The contrast above sets out how Steel man differs from Straw Man on the points that actually matter.