casuistry
[kazh-oo-uh-stree]
- specious, deceptive, or oversubtle reasoning, especially in questions of morality; fallacious or dishonest application of general principles; sophistry.
- the application of general ethical principles to particular cases of conscience or conduct.
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Origin of casuistry
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for casuistry
Contemporary Examples
The responses were telling in their casuistry, their amorality, their evasiveness.
These questions will not be easily dodged; nor will the faithful be placated by casuistry or platitudes.
Historical Examples
His spirit is the opposite of that of Jesuitism or casuistry (Wallace).
SophistPlato
And then she delivered herself of an amazing piece of casuistry.
The Strolling SaintRaphael Sabatini
"I have no leisure for casuistry, nor is it my humor, sir," replied he angrily.
Tom Burke Of "Ours", Volume II (of II)Charles James Lever
And now I have said more than I had intended on a question of casuistry.
Apologia Pro Vita SuaJohn Henry Cardinal Newman
There might be some casuistry in that, but there was truth as well.
A Little Girl in Old SalemAmanda Minnie Douglas
casuistry
- philosophy the resolution of particular moral dilemmas, esp those arising from conflicting general moral rules, by careful distinction of the cases to which these rules apply
- reasoning that is specious, misleading, or oversubtle
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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