Special Pleading

Special pleading, also known as stacking the deck, ignoring the counterevidence, slanting, and one-sided assessment, is a form of spurious argument where a position in a dispute introduces favourable details or excludes unfavourable details by alleging a need to apply additional considerations without proper criticism of these considerations. Essentially, this involves someone attempting to cite something as an exemption to a generally accepted rule, principle, etc. without justifying the exemption.

The lack of criticism may be a simple oversight (e.g., a reference to common sense) or an application of a double standard.

Read more about Special Pleading:  Examples

Famous quotes containing the words special and/or pleading:

    A special feature of the structure of our book is the monstrous but perfectly organic part that eavesdropping plays in it.
    Vladimir Nabokov (1899–1977)

    Sweet, let me go! Sweet, let me go!
    What do you mean to vex me so?
    Cease, cease, cease your pleading force!
    Unknown. Sweet, Let Me Go! (L. 1–3)