Steelman
Special pleading
Also called double standard, unjustified exception.
Applying a rule to everyone except yourself or your side, without a good reason.
What it is
Applying a general principle to others while exempting oneself or a favored case, without showing a relevant difference that would justify the exception.
The pattern
Rule R applies to everyone. Case C is covered by R. But C is exempt, for no relevant reason.
An example
“Anyone who speeds deserves a ticket. I was only speeding because I was late for an important meeting, so I shouldn’t get one.”
Almost every speeder has a reason. Being late isn’t a relevant difference that the rule was meant to exempt.
Why it fails
A principle that’s dropped whenever it’s inconvenient isn’t really being applied. Unless there’s a relevant difference, consistency requires treating like cases alike.
When it’s not a fallacy
Most lists skip this part. Calling a fair point a fallacy is a mistake too.
It can be fair when
- There’s a genuine, relevant difference. An ambulance may run a red light because it’s responding to an emergency.
Try one
A question from the app. The wrong answers are its usual look-alikes.
Climate meetup. Tom: “Flying is the biggest cut most of us can make. Everybody has that one trip they swear they really need, and that’s how we got into this mess. If you care, you stop flying.” Ines: “Aren’t you flying to Lisbon next month?” Tom: “For my sister’s wedding. That’s family. It’s not the same as some beach trip.” Ines: “Fair enough. Send us pictures.” Tom: “Will do.”
What’s the flaw?
Tom’s own rule was that everyone’s “one trip they really need” is how the problem grew, so it’s no excuse. A sister’s wedding is exactly that kind of trip. He lets his own flight off without showing how it differs from everyone else’s must-go trips.
A fair reply
“Everyone’s one trip is for something that matters to them, so what makes yours different?”
Often confused with
- No true Scotsman
No True Scotsman redefines a group to exclude a counterexample. Special pleading exempts a case from a rule.
- Accident
Accident ignores a justified exception. Special pleading invents an unjustified one.
Where the name comes from
The name began in law, where pleading means setting out your case in court. Today it means pleading that your case is special, so the rule shouldn’t apply to it. A “double standard” judges like cases by two different rules, and an “unjustified exception” is one nobody has given a good reason for.
Sources
- Fallacies, Bradley Dowden, Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
In the app
Practice spotting it on arguments that sound real.
Steelman has more examples of special pleading, how to answer it in a real conversation, and practice rounds that mix it with its look-alikes, so you learn the difference, not just the name. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.
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