Fallacy

26 Special Pleading: "having it both ways"
When scientists of the American Cancer Society presented evidence strongly linking cigarette smoking with lung cancer, many smokers became uneasy. Then other research organizations argued that the conclusions were not proved, and smokers were supposed to be reassured. But some noticed that the reassurance came from laboratories supported by the tobacco interests. Now it certainly does not follow that arguments favoring the use of cigarettes are automatically wrong because those making them stand to gain by the sale of tobacco. To suppose so is to fall into the fallacy of origin (# 19). Yet such arguments become suspect. They seem likely cases of one-sided pleading.
One-sided pleading becomes special pleading when you "have it both ways." You find the reasons where your advantage lies, but refuse to apply the same principle to yourself that you apply to others. Salesmen, lawyers, debaters are not the only people ever guilty of rationalizing in this way. Scientists, educators, statesmen -- in fact anybody who has something to gain_or who has merely warmed to his argument -- can be found on occasion ignoring or twisting the facts to his own advantage.
EXAMPLE COMMENT
A realtor shows a friend a large parking lot which he has recently acquired to accommodate the cars of his salesmen. "It is a good investment," he declares. "Nothing I could have done would have saved more time and annoyance for my employees." Shortly thereafter the City purchases land for a parking lot to accommodate municipal employees. The land values are comparable and the parking facilities equally congested in the two areas. "Another instance of extravagancg in the City Hall," protests the realtor. Unless the realtor can point out significant differences between the two situations, what is a "good investment" for one employer will hardly be "extravagant" for another.
Geopolitician Pietro writes: "Though Nice was lost to France in I860, the historic claim of Italy to this city remains bright in the hearts of Italians. No true Italian can forget Garibaldi's protest against this annexation: 'You have made me a stranger in the land of my birth!'" Later, Pietro is discussing Italy's possession of the South Tyrol, a German-speaking area annexed by Italy after World War I. "Only in the crucible of war did our country earn her natural frontier on the Brenner Pass. Geography must forever ratify Italy's claim to this land." Pietro's claims manifest the desire to have it both ways, a desire characteristic enough of those advancing historic, ethnic or geographical claims to suit the convenience of their own nations. Pietro's shift of grounds from a historical to a geographical basis reveals the special pleading of his contentions.

EXAMPLE	COMMENT
A realtor shows a friend a large parking lot which he has recently acquired to accommodate the cars of his salesmen. "It is a good investment," he declares. "Nothing I could have done would have saved more time and annoyance for my employees." Shortly thereafter the City purchases land for a parking lot to accommodate municipal employees. The land values are comparable and the parking facilities equally congested in the two areas. "Another instance of extravagancg in the City Hall," protests the realtor.	Unless the realtor can point out significant differences between the two situations, what is a "good investment" for one employer will hardly be "extravagant" for another.
Geopolitician Pietro writes: "Though Nice was lost to France in I860, the historic claim of Italy to this city remains bright in the hearts of Italians. No true Italian can forget Garibaldi's protest against this annexation: 'You have made me a stranger in the land of my birth!'" Later, Pietro is discussing Italy's possession of the South Tyrol, a German-speaking area annexed by Italy after World War I. "Only in the crucible of war did our country earn her natural frontier on the Brenner Pass. Geography must forever ratify Italy's claim to this land."	Pietro's claims manifest the desire to have it both ways, a desire characteristic enough of those advancing historic, ethnic or geographical claims to suit the convenience of their own nations. Pietro's shift of grounds from a historical to a geographical basis reveals the special pleading of his contentions.