Changes

=== Offering an Irrelevant Difference ===

=== Offering an Irrelevant Difference ===

The usual form of special pleading is to cite a [[distinction without a difference|counter-ground that is simply irrelevant]].<ref name=Nizkor/><ref name=Thompson>Bruce Thompson, [http://www.cuyamaca.edu/bruce.thompson/Fallacies/specialpleading.asp Special Pleading], in [http://www.cuyamaca.edu/bruce.thompson/Fallacies/intro_fallacies.asp Bruce Thompson's Fallacy Pages] (retrieved April 9, 2007)</ref> The irrelevant ground might be either an alleged special circumstance<ref name=Nizkor/> or a unique or at least unshared perspective or credential<ref name=Thompson/>. "How dare you criticize a (wo)man of my talent/education/training" is a crude example of the special-credential plea.

The usual form of special pleading is to cite a [[distinction without a difference|counter-ground that is simply irrelevant]].<ref name=Nizkor/><ref name=Thompson>Bruce Thompson, [http://www.cuyamaca.edu/bruce.thompson/Fallacies/specialpleading.asp Special Pleading], in [http://www.cuyamaca.edu/bruce.thompson/Fallacies/intro_fallacies.asp Bruce Thompson's Fallacy Pages] (retrieved April 9, 2007)</ref> The irrelevant ground might be either an alleged special circumstance<ref name=Nizkor/> or a unique or at least unshared perspective or credential.<ref name=Thompson/> "How dare you criticize a (wo)man of my talent/education/training" is a crude example of the special-credential plea.

=== Ignoring Unfavorable Evidence ===

=== Ignoring Unfavorable Evidence ===

In [[law]], the introduction of a special circumstance intended to extenuate a [[crime]] or a [[tort]], instead of denying that the crime or tort occurred or that the defendant did the deed, is often called a special pleading.<ref name=Heritage/> [[Self-defense]] is the classic special plea in law. But this would not normally qualify as a special pleading in logic. Under the laws of most nation-states today, self-defense ''is'' directly relevant to a judgment of guilt for certain crimes, especially [[murder]].

In [[law]], the introduction of a special circumstance intended to extenuate a [[crime]] or a [[tort]], instead of denying that the crime or tort occurred or that the defendant did the deed, is often called a special pleading.<ref name=Heritage/> [[Self-defense]] is the classic special plea in law. But this would not normally qualify as a special pleading in logic. Under the laws of most nation-states today, self-defense ''is'' directly relevant to a judgment of guilt for certain crimes, especially [[murder]].

== See Also ==

== See also ==

*[[Double standard]]

*[[Double standard]]

*[[Hypocrisy]]

*[[Hypocrisy]]