[General] Meaning of Purvapakshin

[Geralt of Rivia]

Hello,

Could you please help me paraphrase the sentences below or give me a hand on deciphering their meanings?

Thanks in advance.

"...Purvapakshin is an imaginary person who is privileged in every disputed question to say all that can possibly be said against the view finally to be upheld. He is something like the man of straw whom modern writers like to set up in their arguments in order to be able to demolish him with great credit to themselves.” Theosophy Or Psychological Religion, Max Müller

 

[Raymott]

The second sentence means simply that he is a "straw man". This relates to a logical fallacy which involves arguing against a position that is not the one taken by your opponent:
http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/straw-man.html

 

[Geralt of Rivia]

How about the first one?

 

[Tdol]

It just sets up the character as a kind of straw man IMO.