Lesson 6 Special Pleading 92716 Using double standards
Lesson 6: Special Pleading 9/27/16
Using double standards as a red herring. We’ve learned how people use red herrings to avoid a question. Now we’ll look at some methods they use to do this. One method involves double standards. A double standard treats people or ideas unfairly. • Hannah: Friend Charity, thee is picking flowers! Thee is working on the Lord’s Day! Thee scolded me for knitting in meeting last Lord’s Day. • Charity: Thee is being silly, friend Hannah. Knitting is hard work; but these flowers are for friend Prudence’s birthday. Hannah and Charity are Quakers who believe they should rest on Sunday and not work. But Charity is making an exception for picking flowers because it is for someone special.
Special Pleading Fallacy: a Red Herring When someone uses a double standard or argues for an unjustified exception, he is committing the fallacy of special pleading.
Examples When someone introduces an unjustified exception to an argument, he is avoiding the issue. He is saying something like, “Most people shouldn’t rob banks, but I’m an exception. I need the money!”
“I know I need to control my anger. But Officer, this time my wife was nagging me so much, the only thing I could do was lock her in the closet. ”
When someone is emotionally involved in an issue, he may want to make his actions an exception to the rule. This man is mad at his wife, and he thinks her nagging gives him an excuse to do something very wrong.
Recognizing the Special Pleading • Why is this exception relevant? • Is this distracting us from the issue involved? • Special pleading fallacies often involve fairness.
Newspaper Article: Arkansas law requires that everyone follow the speed limit and traffic lights. But Hick County officials say they discourage police officers from giving tickets to fellow officers and their families, both on or off duty. “Police officers have the right to stop anyone, but it’s only reasonable that they show professional courtesy to their fellow officers, ” said Sheriff Marty Boone. “It’s one of the perks. ”
There are times when a police officer needs to break the speed limit or run a red light to reach an accident quickly or catch a criminal. But when this is not the case, this may be special pleading. We can’t make ourselves an exception to the law.
- Slides: 9