casuistic
Overly subtle reasoning
Casuistic describes reasoning that applies general moral principles to specific cases, particularly in ways that seem overly clever or designed to justify questionable behavior.
The term comes from casuistry, a method of ethical analysis that works through case-by-case judgments rather than absolute rules.
While casuistry has legitimate uses in ethics and law, casuistic often carries negative connotations of hairsplitting, sophistry, or finding loopholes to excuse what would otherwise be wrong.
His casuistic arguments for why the lie was actually justified convinced no one.
Deceptive reasoning
- equivocationAmbiguous language avoiding commitment
- hair-splittingExcessive focus on trivialities
- quibblingPetty objection-raising
- speciousSuperficially plausible but flawed
fallacious · cavil · nitpicking · legalistic · jesuitical · hairsplitting · oversubtle · captious
Conflicts between competing values
- conscienceInternal moral sense
- ethical reasoningThinking through right conduct
- situational ethicsMorality contingent on context
- applied ethicsMorality for real situations
pastoral · confessional · scrupulosity · dispensation · exception · moral judgment · mitigating circumstances · extenuating
Relating to logical debate
- subtleNot immediately obvious
- nuancedHaving fine distinctions
- analyticalExamining parts methodically
- distinctionsRecognized differences between things
parsing · interpretation · argumentation · scholastic · rabbinical · exegetical · hermeneutic · analogical
Inventing acceptable motives afterward
- excuse-makingExplaining away fault
- self-justificationDefending one's own actions
- special pleadingDemanding unjustified exceptions
- pretextFabricated motive concealing truth
extenuation · mitigation · apologetics · defense · vindication · explaining away · loophole · technicality
sophistry
Deceptive reasoning
- equivocationAmbiguous language avoiding commitment
- hair-splittingExcessive focus on trivialities
- quibblingPetty objection-raising
specious · fallacious · cavil · nitpicking · legalistic · jesuitical · hairsplitting · oversubtle · captious · pettifogging
moral dilemmas
Conflicts between competing values
- conscienceInternal moral sense
- ethical reasoningThinking through right conduct
- situational ethicsMorality contingent on context
applied ethics · pastoral · confessional · scrupulosity · dispensation · exception · moral judgment · mitigating circumstances · extenuating · allowable
dialectical
Relating to logical debate
- subtleNot immediately obvious
- nuancedHaving fine distinctions
- analyticalExamining parts methodically
distinctions · parsing · interpretation · argumentation · scholastic · rabbinical · exegetical · hermeneutic · analogical · principle
rationalization
Inventing acceptable motives afterward
- excuse-makingExplaining away fault
- self-justificationDefending one's own actions
- special pleadingDemanding unjustified exceptions
pretext · extenuation · mitigation · apologetics · defense · vindication · explaining away · loophole · technicality · qualification
casuisticprincipled
Having strong moral beliefs
straightforward · honest · forthright · direct · candid
casuisticaboveboard
Honest and unconcealed
transparent · genuine · authentic · good-faith · straightforward