Goalpost Test
The goalpost test is a diagnostic for spotting bad-faith argumentation by asking whether your interlocutor would actually accept defeat if their stated condition were met.
What does this actually test?
A genuine claim has a falsification condition: “I’d believe X if you showed me Y”. If no possible Y would satisfy them, the position isn’t being argued, it’s being defended unconditionally. That’s a Bad-Faith Argument.
If you produced exactly the evidence they asked for, would they:
- (a) update their belief, or
- (b) raise a new objection and demand more evidence
If the answer is (b), they’re moving the goalposts. The original condition wasn’t really their criterion, it was a delaying tactic.
Practical use
Before investing energy producing evidence, ask explicitly: “If I show you Y, will you accept the claim?” A serious interlocutor will commit, a bad-faith one will hedge.