Casuistry
/KAZH-oo-is-tree/
कुतर्क (kutark) / छल-तर्क (chhal-tark)
Meanings
- The use of clever but unsound reasoning, especially in moral questions
- Oversubtle reasoning to justify questionable acts
- Sophistic argumentation
Example Sentences
- "The lawyer's casuistry impressed the courtroom but failed to hide the weakness of his case."
- "Political casuistry allows leaders to justify contradictory positions to different audiences."
- "The ethical committee rejected the researcher's casuistry in defending the flawed experiment."
Etymology
From Latin 'casuista' (one who studies cases), from 'casus' (case, event, fall). Originally a neutral term in theology for resolving moral dilemmas case-by-case, it gained negative connotations of sophistry.