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

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154 How to Win Every Argument

also throw out our own. If we were to receive special treatment,
how could we justify withholding it from others? Argument
proceeds by general rules, and exceptions must be justified.

While it is not normally right to invade someone's privacy, it is all right
for us, as journalists, to do so because we serve a public need.
(Even though we make private money.)

Special pleading is sometimes described as 'benefit of clergy',
because of the right which the medieval Church established to
have clerical offenders tried in church courts even for civil crimes.
This right, which was called 'benefit of clergy', is really what the
special pleader seeks - the right to be tried in a different court.


Capitalism has always left areas of poverty and hardship, and mis-
allocated resources. Socialism, on the other hand, has never been
properly tried.
(Can you spot the special pleading? We are invited to compare
capitalism in practice, as applied, with theoretical socialism. This is
sometimes called 'real' socialism, to conceal the fact that it is the
opposite of real. Of course, if we look at capitalist countries for the
record of capitalism, then we should look at socialist countries for the
record of socialism. Theory with theory, or practice with practice.)

Special pleading is normally resorted to by those whose case
would not fare well in the general courts. Faced with a clash
between their ideas and the evidence, scientists change their
ideas. The special pleaders, like social scientists, prefer to change
the evidence and show why normal judgements cannot be made
in their particular case. Very often it is the supreme importance of
the cause which is called upon to justify the special standards.
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