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fallacy of accident

Applying a sound general rule to an exceptional case it was never meant to cover.

The fallacy of accident applies a rule that holds in general to a special case whose unusual features make the rule inappropriate. It is the mirror image of hasty generalization: it runs from a rule down to a case, not from cases up to a rule.

Examples

  • "Stealing is wrong, so it was wrong to take the car keys from a friend who was too drunk to drive."

See also

hasty generalization sweeping generalization
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