I had to look it up again to check, but does this not fall under the dictionary definition of sophistry[1]? It seems especially appropriate to call it that given the 2nd definition of sophisticated[2] as something at a high degree of complexity, and "sophisticate"'s common root with "sophistry".
By making a complex argument, you deceive others into thinking that you have refuted another argument, when in fact you have not done so; the fallacy of your argument was hidden by it's complexity.
1. "the use of fallacious arguments, especially with the intention of deceiving." -- Oxford languages, via Google; https://www.google.com/search?q=sophistry (retrieved 2021-01-22)
2. "(of a machine, system, or technique) developed to a high degree of complexity." -- Same as [1], above.
Eh, the whole sophist thing is a 2500 year old beef that philosophers (i.e. aristotle, plato, socrates) had with professional teachers hired by upper class people, for everything but especially rhetoric. So it took on this meaning of an insult insinuating the target was a second rate intellectual teaching a cheap bag of tricks to rich idiots.
I’m never a big fan of using these words that take some ancient group of people or school of thought and turn the name into an adjective which has at best a loose connection with the reality of what they were.
Does the dictionary definition fit? Somewhat, but maybe not the best choice.
Thank you for saying this out loud. I've had the same visceral reaction to words like "sophistry" but have never taken the time to process why or articulate it. This is exactly how I feel about it, as well.
By making a complex argument, you deceive others into thinking that you have refuted another argument, when in fact you have not done so; the fallacy of your argument was hidden by it's complexity.
1. "the use of fallacious arguments, especially with the intention of deceiving." -- Oxford languages, via Google; https://www.google.com/search?q=sophistry (retrieved 2021-01-22)
2. "(of a machine, system, or technique) developed to a high degree of complexity." -- Same as [1], above.