''Secundum quid'' (also called ''secundum quid et simpliciter'', meaning "
hat is truein a certain respect and
hat is trueabsolutely")
is a type of informal fallacy that occurs when the arguer fails to recognize the difference between
rules of thumb
In English, the phrase ''rule of thumb'' refers to an approximate method for doing something, based on practical experience rather than theory. This usage of the phrase can be traced back to the 17th century and has been associated with various t ...
(''soft'' generalizations,
heuristics
A heuristic (; ), or heuristic technique, is any approach to problem solving or self-discovery that employs a practical method that is not guaranteed to be optimal, perfect, or rational, but is nevertheless sufficient for reaching an immediate, ...
that hold true ''as a general rule'' but leave room for exceptions) and
categorical propositions, rules that hold true universally.
Since it ignores the limits, or
qualifications
Qualification is either the process of qualifying for an achievement, or a credential attesting to that achievement, and may refer to:
* Professional qualification, attributes developed by obtaining academic degrees or through professional expe ...
, of rules of thumb, this fallacy is also named ignoring qualifications. The expression misuse of a principle can be used as well.
Example
The arguer cites only the cases that support his point, conveniently omitting Bach, Beethoven, Brahms etc.
Compare with:
In popular culture
The following quatrain can be attributed to C. H. Talbot:
I talked in terms whose sense was hid,
''Dividendo, componendo et secundum quid'';
Now ''secundum quid'' is a wise remark
And it earned my reputation as a learned clerk.
Types
Instances of ''secundum quid'' are of two kinds:
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Accident
An accident is an unintended, normally unwanted event that was not directly caused by humans. The term ''accident'' implies that nobody should be blamed, but the event may have been caused by unrecognized or unaddressed risks. Most researche ...
— ''a dicto simpliciter ad dictum secundum quid'' (where an acceptable exception is ignored)
rom general to qualified*
Converse accident
The fallacy of converse accident (also called reverse accident, destroying the exception, or ''a dicto secundum quid ad dictum simpliciter'') is an informal fallacy that can occur in a statistical syllogism (an argument based on a generalization) ...
— ''a dicto secundum quid ad dictum simpliciter'' (where an acceptable exception is eliminated or simplified)
rom qualified to general
See also
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Defeasible reasoning
In philosophical logic, defeasible reasoning is a kind of reasoning that is rationally compelling, though not deductive reasoning, deductively valid. It usually occurs when a rule is given, but there may be specific exceptions to the rule, or su ...
References
Further reading
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{{Fallacies
Informal fallacies
Latin logical phrases
zh:籠統推論