Special pleading is a fallacy where individuals or their beliefs are exempted from a rule or standard that is applied to others, typically to defend a weak argument. Examples provided involve using concepts like free will or divine mystery to explain away theological complexities or perceived injustices within religious contexts.
Especial pleading (special pleading) is a fallacy where someone applies standards to others but creates an exception for themselves or their own beliefs, often to defend a weak argument. Examples include justifying controversial religious doctrines like the Trinity or God's allowance of suffering by citing divine mystery or free will to avoid direct refutation.
| Fallacy | special pleading |
|---|---|
| Definition and Examples | often to rescue a proposition in deep rhetorical trouble (e.g., How can a merciful God condemn future generations to torment because, against orders, one woman induced one man to eat an apple? Special plead: you don’t understand the subtle Doctrine of Free Will. Or: How can there be an equally godlike Father, Son, and Holy Ghost in the same Person? Special plead: You don’t understand the Divine Mystery of the Trinity. Or: How could God permit the followers of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam — each in their own way enjoined to heroic measures of loving kindness and compassion — to have perpetrated so much cruelty for so long? Special plead: You don’t understand Free Will again. And anyway, God moves in mysterious ways.) |
Tags: fallacies
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