Special pleading

Special pleading is an informal fallacy wherein a person claims an exception to a general or universal principle, but the exception is unjustified.Special pleading also often resembles the "appeal to" logical fallacies.Special pleading subverts a presumption of existential import.[citation needed][further explanation needed] A difficult case is when a possible criticism is made relatively immune to investigation.This immunity may take the forms of: This variation occurs when the interpretation of the relevant statistic is "massaged" by looking for ways to reclassify or requantify data from one portion of results, but not applying the same scrutiny to other categories.
Special pleaderdouble standardmaterial fallaciescognitive fallaciesformal fallacies"appeal to" logical fallaciesexistential importad-hocCherry picking (fallacy)Courtier's replyException that proves the ruleHard cases make bad lawMoving the goalpostsNo true ScotsmanRelativist fallacyFischer, D. H.Wayback MachinefallaciesFormalpropositional logicAffirming a disjunctAffirming the consequentDenying the antecedentArgument from fallacyMasked manMathematical fallacyquantificational logicExistentialIllicit conversionProof by exampleQuantifier shiftSyllogistic fallacyAffirmative conclusion from a negative premiseNegative conclusion from affirmative premisesExclusive premisesNecessityFour termsIllicit majorIllicit minorUndistributed middleInformalEquivocationFalse equivalenceFalse attributionQuoting out of contextLoki's WagerReificationCircular reasoningBegging the questionLoaded languageLeading questionCompound questionLoaded questionComplex questionCorrelative-basedFalse dilemmaPerfect solutionDenying the correlativeSuppressed correlativeIllicit transferenceCompositionDivisionEcologicalSecundum quidAccidentConverse accidentFaulty generalizationAnecdotal evidenceSampling biasCherry pickingMcNamaraBase rateConjunctionDouble countingFalse analogySlothful inductionOverwhelming exceptionAmbiguityAccentFalse precisionSlippery slopeSorites paradoxSyntactic ambiguityQuestionable causeAnimisticFurtiveCum hocPost hocGambler'sInverseRegressionSingle causeTexas sharpshooterLaw/LegalityProof by assertionConsequencesArgumentum ad baculumWishful thinkingEmotionChildrenFlatteryNoveltyRidiculeIn-group favoritismInvented hereNot invented hereIsland mentalityLoyaltyParade of horriblesStirring symbolsWisdom of repugnanceGenetic fallacyAd hominemAppeal to motiveAssociationReductio ad HitlerumGodwin's lawReductio ad StalinumBulverismPoisoning the wellTu quoqueWhataboutismAuthorityAccomplishmentIpse dixitPovertyWealthEtymologyNatureTraditionChronological snobberyfallacies of relevanceArgumentsAd nauseamSealioningArgument from anecdoteArgument from silenceArgument to moderationArgumentum ad populumClichéThe Four Great ErrorsI'm entitled to my opinionIgnoratio elenchiInvincible ignoranceMoralisticNaturalisticMotte-and-bailey fallacyPsychologist's fallacyRationalizationRed herringTwo wrongs make a rightStraw manPseudoscienceList of topics characterized as pseudoscienceCargo cult scienceCharlatanFringe theoryFringe sciencePseudoarchaeologyPseudohistoryPseudomathematicsJunk scienceParanormalPathological scienceQuackerySnake oilSuperseded scientific theoryTrue-believer syndromeVoodoo ScienceTopics characterized as pseudoscienceAcupunctureAromatherapyAdrenal fatigueAlternative medicineAnthroposophic medicineApplied kinesiologyAyurvedaBates methodBiorhythmsBloodlettingBody memoryChiropracticChromotherapyCorreactologyCryonicsCrystal healingCuppingDetoxificationColon cleansingDoctrine of signaturesDoktor Koster's AntigaspillsEar candlingElectromagnetic hypersensitivityEnergy medicineFad dietFasciaBlasterGerm theory denialismHIV/AIDS denialismHomeopathyHumorismIridologyLeaky gut syndromeLGBT chemicals conspiracy theoryLunar effectMacrobiotic dietMagnet therapyMiracle Mineral SupplementNaturopathyPalmistryPanchagavyaPatent medicinePhrenologyPrimal therapyRadionicsTraditional medicineTraditional Chinese medicineTrepanningVertebral subluxationWind turbine syndromeYoung blood transfusion2012 phenomenonAncient astronautsCatastrophismConspiracy theory9/11 conspiracy theoriesChemtrail conspiracy theoryClimate change denialCOVID-19 misinformationMoon landing conspiracy theoriesConversion therapyGenerationismStrauss–Howe generational theoryHollow Earth theoryIndigo childrenJaphetic theoryMediumshipNazi archaeologyNibiru cataclysmParapsychologyGenocide denialHistorical negationismHolocaust denialPseudolawRecovered-memory therapyPast life regressionScientific racismAryan raceMelanin theoryMyers–Briggs Type IndicatorEnneagram of PersonalityAnti-gravity‎Cold fusion‎Faster-than-light travelPerpetual motionQuantum mysticismReactionless driveDean driveEMDriveTeleportation‎Tractor beamWater-fueled carAlchemyAquatic ape hypothesisAstrologyBiodynamic agricultureBiological transmutationCreation scienceCryptozoologyDianeticsAuditingDowsingElectronic voice phenomenonEugenicsFacilitated communicationFeng shuiFlat Earth theoryGraphologyIntelligent designLaundry ballLaw of attractionLevitationLysenkoismNumerologyOrgonePolygraphPseudoscientific metrologyRapid prompting methodStatement analysisUfologyVoice stress analysisWater memorySucharit BhakdiDel BigtreeIgor and Grichka BogdanoffBrigitte BoisselierRhonda ByrneRobert CharrouxDeepak ChopraClonaidVernon ColemanIgnatius L. DonnellyGaia, Inc.Max GersonNicholas GonzalezGoop (company)Graham HancockDavid IckeWilliam Donald KelleyRobert F. Kennedy Jr.Corentin Louis KervranThe Light (newspaper)Mike LindellJenny McCarthyJoseph MercolaJudy MikovitsMinistry of AyushTheodor MorellHans Alfred NieperMehmet OzClaude VorilhonRobby StarbuckRandolph StonePaul Joseph WatsonAndrew WakefieldBogdanov affairBourgeois pseudoscienceDemarcation problemScientific methodSuppressed research in the Soviet UnionCommittee for Skeptical InquiryCults of UnreasonAn Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and SupernaturalFads and Fallacies in the Name of ScienceFortean TimesJames Randi Educational FoundationQuackwatchSkeptical InquirerThe Demon-Haunted WorldThe Natural History of QuackeryThe Psychology of the OccultThe Ragged Edge of ScienceThe Skeptic Encyclopedia of PseudoscienceThe Skeptic's Dictionary