Special pleading is an
informal fallacy
Informal fallacies are a type of incorrect argument in natural language. The source of the error is not just due to the ''form'' of the argument, as is the case for formal fallacies, but can also be due to their ''content'' and ''context''. Fallac ...
wherein a person claims an exception to a general or universal principle, but the exception is unjustified.
It applies a
double standard
A double standard is the application of different sets of principles for situations that are, in principle, the same. It is often used to describe treatment whereby one group is given more latitude than another. A double standard arises when two ...
.
In the classic distinction among
material fallacies,
cognitive fallacies, and
formal fallacies
In logic and philosophy, a formal fallacy is a pattern of reasoning rendered invalid by a flaw in its logical structure. Propositional logic, for example, is concerned with the meanings of sentences and the relationships between them. It focuses ...
, special pleading most likely falls within the category of cognitive fallacy, because it would seem to relate to "
lip service", rationalization, and diversion (abandonment of discussion). Special pleading also often resembles the
"appeal to" logical fallacies.
In medieval philosophy, it was not presumed that wherever a distinction is claimed, a relevant basis for the distinction should exist and be substantiated. Special pleading subverts a presumption of
existential import.
Examples
A difficult case is when a possible criticism is made relatively immune to investigation. This immunity may take the forms of:
* Creation of an ''
ad-hoc'' exception to prevent the rule from backfiring against the claim:
**Example: ''Everyone has a duty to help the police do their job, no matter who the suspect is. That is why we must support investigations into corruption in the police department. No person is above the law. Of course, if the police come knocking on my door to ask about my neighbors and the robberies in our building, I know nothing. I’m not about to rat on anybody.''
* "You aren't like me, so you do not even have a right to think about or hold opinions on my plight."
** Example: ''Keep your advice to yourself. If you didn't grow up the way I did, then you can't understand.''
Statistical
This variation occurs when the interpretation of the relevant statistic is "massaged" by looking for ways to reclassify or requantify data from one portion of results, but not applying the same scrutiny to other categories.
See also
*
Cherry picking (fallacy)
*
Courtier's reply
*
Exception that proves the rule
*
Hard cases make bad law
*
Moving the goalposts
Moving the goalposts (or shifting the goalposts) is a metaphor, derived from goal-based sports such as football and hockey, that means to change the rule or criterion ("goal") of a process or competition while it is still in progress, in such a wa ...
*
No true Scotsman
*
Relativist fallacy
References
External links
Special pleading at the Fallacy Files
{{Pseudoscience
Relevance fallacies