pilpul

Noun

Meaning

Sophistry, hair-splitting, quibbling.

(Judaism) Penetrating investigation, disputation, and drawing of conclusions, especially in Talmudic study.

Examples

But the popular new method of Talmud study was not without critics; already in the 15th century, the ethical tract Orhot Zaddikim ("Paths of the Righteous" in Hebrew) criticized pilpul for an overemphasis on intellectual acuity. Source: Internet

The term "pilpul" was increasingly applied derogatorily to novellae deemed casuistic and hairsplitting. Source: Internet

The term pilpul was applied to this type of study. Source: Internet

Usage of pilpul in this sense (that of "sharp analysis") harks back to the Talmudic era and refers to the intellectual sharpness this method demanded. Source: Internet

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