As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a Nazi comparison approaches 1.
Godwin created it in 1990 as a deliberate intervention — he wanted to make casual Holocaust comparisons feel cheap by making them predictable. He has since said it does not apply to actual Nazis.
In practice
- Godwin's own qualification: he has said it does not apply where actual Nazis are the subject.
- A moderation policy that treats any historical comparison as a violation prevents the argument from ever being made properly.
- Further reading
- Wikipedia
- Subject
- Communication & Media
- Essay
- The folk laws of argument and attention