What is "judgment of solomon"

n. A judgment in which a stratagem is invoked in order to reveal the true feelings of the opposing parties.

The Judgment of Solomon refers to a story from the Hebrew Bible in which King Solomon of Israel ruled between two women both claiming to be the mother of a child by tricking the parties into revealing their true feelings. It has become an archetypal example of argument to moderation and that of an impartial judge displaying wisdom in making a ruling.

The decision in the story omits any effort to identify the father, and labels both women as prostitutes.