How to Win Every Argument: The Use and Abuse of Logic (2006)

Special pleading 153

On a slippery slope ruin is reached in stages. The fallacy

introduces the irrelevant material of the consequences of more

far-reaching action in order to oppose the more limited proposal

actually made.

Use the fallacy yourself to oppose change. There is scarcely

any proposal which would not lead to disaster if taken too far.

They want to charge people for admission to the church bazaar,

but you point out that if this is conceded they will charge more

next year, and more after that, until poorer people will be unable

to afford to get in. The fallacy works best on pessimists, who are

always ready to believe that things will turn out for the worse.

Just assure them that if they do anything at all, this is almost

certain to happen.

Special pleading

Special pleading involves the application of a double standard.
Although the normal rules of evidence and argument are applied
to other cases, the fallacy of special pleading stipulates that some
are exceptions, to be judged differently. It normally occurs when
a speaker demands less strict treatment for the cause which he
espouses than he seeks to apply elsewhere.

Our attempt to engage in conversation was totally spoiled by all the

chattering that other people were doing.

(Look who's talking.)

Special pleading is a source of error. If different standards are
to be applied to certain cases, we need rather more evidence to
justify this than the fact that we would like better treatment. The
same standards which would throw out someone else's claim will