''Secundum quid'' (also called ''secundum quid et simpliciter'', meaning "

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in a certain respect and

absolutely") is a type of informal fallacy that occurs when the arguer fails to recognize the difference between rules of thumb (''soft'' generalizations, heuristics that hold true ''as a general rule'' but leave room for exceptions) and

categorical proposition In logic, a categorical proposition, or categorical statement, is a proposition that asserts or denies that all or some of the members of one category (the ''subject term'') are included in another (the ''predicate term''). The study of arguments ...

s, rules that hold true universally. Since it ignores the limits, or qualifications, of rules of thumb, this fallacy is also named ignoring qualifications. The expression misuse of a principle can be used as well.

Example

The arguer cites only the cases that support his point, conveniently omitting Bach, Beethoven, Brahms etc. Compare with:

In popular culture

The following quatrain can be attributed to C. H. Talbot: I talked in terms whose sense was hid, ''Dividendo, componendo et secundum quid''; Now ''secundum quid'' is a wise remark And it earned my reputation as a learned clerk.

Types

Instances of ''secundum quid'' are of two kinds: * Accident — ''a dicto simpliciter ad dictum secundum quid'' (where an acceptable exception is ignored) rom general to qualified* Converse accident — ''a dicto secundum quid ad dictum simpliciter'' (where an acceptable exception is eliminated or simplified) rom qualified to general

Example

In popular culture

Types

See also

References

Further reading