Special Pleading Fallacy Examples in Media, Real Life, Politics, News & Ads

Special Pleading Fallacy

What Is Special Pleading Fallacy?

The fallacy of special pleading is the act of defending a position by using arguments that are not generally accepted as valid or true, but rather than making an argument for why the particular claim should be accepted, and one simply asserts that it should be exempt from criticism because it has been treated unfairly in the past.

This fallacy can take many forms, including:

• – Arguing that a certain belief should not be questioned because there is no evidence against its validity;
• – Arguing that a certain person cannot have committed a crime because they were framed and convicted before;
•  – Arguing that someone’s actions cannot be criticized because they are disabled; and so on…

The special pleading fallacy is when someone uses a claim of self-interest to justify their actions but expects others to act differently without such an excuse.

For example, if you are in the military and want to go on leave, you may say that it is your duty as a soldier and patriot to fight for your country.

However, if another person wants time off work for personal reasons, they would not be able to use this argument because they are not in the military or fighting for their country.

Special Pleading Examples

Special Pleading Examples in Commercial

Examples of Special Pleading in Commercial:

Special Pleading Fallacy is a logical fallacy where the person making an argument tries to get out of being refuted by claiming that their opponent has done something wrong or unfair, rather than addressing the argument’s substance.

 For example, if I were to say, “I’m not going to go into detail about how you’re wrong because you don’t deserve it,”

This would be an instance of Special Pleading Fallacy because instead of actually explaining why my opponent was incorrect, I am trying to avoid criticism and address only what’s relevant to me in order for me not to look bad.

Another example is a commercial for a car company that uses Special Pleading Fallacy: “We know there are other cars on the market with more features and better gas mileage.”

This statement does not refute any specific claims made by competitors but instead just states that they exist without providing anything else as evidence or explanation.

As such, it is fallacious reasoning.

Special Pleading Real Life Examples

Examples of Special Pleading in Real Life:

• The United States is a democracy, but Puerto Rico people are not allowed to vote in US presidential elections.
• My parents love me and would never hurt me, so they can’t be abusive or neglectful.
• I’m a good person, so God must exist and reward those who follow him with eternal life in heaven after death.
• I’m not racist because I have black friends.
• I can’t be sexist because my wife is a CEO.
•  My religion doesn’t teach that, so it’s not true

Special Pleading Examples in Media

Examples of Special Pleading in Media: 

The media often uses the Special Pleading Fallacy to defend their own actions.

For example, a news station might make an argument that they are unbiased when in reality, they have a liberal bias.

This is because it’s easier for them to say “we’re not biased” than to actually change their content and admit that they do have biases.

Special Pleading Examples in Advertising

Special Pleading in Advertising: 

Special Pleading Fallacy is a fallacy that occurs when someone tries to defend their position by claiming that the evidence against them should be disregarded because of special circumstances.

For example, an advertisement for weight loss supplements might claim that it’s not effective for everyone and therefore doesn’t work as advertised.

The advertiser would then argue about how they’re different from other people who have tried the product and didn’t lose any weight.

Special Pleading Examples in Politics

Examples of Special Pleading in Politics:

Special Pleading Fallacy is a fallacy in which someone makes an exception for their own beliefs but does not grant others the same exception.

An example of this would be when someone argues that they should have the right to do something because it’s legal while denying other people the same rights. After all, it’s illegal.

Another example would be if someone criticizes another person for not paying taxes and does not pay taxes themselves; this would also be an instance of special pleading because they are using a double-standard to exempt themselves from the consequences of their own actions (not paying taxes).

Special Pleading in Movies

Examples of Special Pleading in Movies:

The protagonist is a hero because he has special powers, and the antagonist doesn’t

The protagonist is an underdog, so they can do whatever they want without consequence.

The protagonist’s sidekick is always right about everything.

Special Pleading Examples in Literature

Examples of Special Pleading in Literature:

Special Pleading Fallacy is a fallacy in which one argues that the reason for their belief cannot be disproven because it relies on special circumstances or qualifications.

In literature, this often takes the form of an author’s personal opinion being represented as fact.

For example, when an author says, “I think that Hamlet was mad,” and then goes on to argue why they believe Hamlet was mad.

Special Pleading Examples in News

Examples of Special Pleading in News:

The Special Pleading Fallacy is when people use a double standard to exempt themselves from the consequences of their own actions. This fallacy is often seen in the news, where journalists will criticize politicians for doing something wrong and then do the same thing themselves without consequence.

For example, if a politician says that they are against violence but then encourages their supporters to go out and protest violently, this would be an example of special pleading because they have used a double standard to exempt themselves from the consequences of their own actions (encouraging violence).

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