casuistry

• Nom désignant une argumentation sophistique ou excessivement subtile visant à tromper, ou la branche de la philosophie morale qui applique des principes éthiques généraux à la résolution de dilemmes moraux concrets.

A noun referring to specious or excessively subtle argumentation intended to be misleading, or a branch of moral philosophy that applies general ethical principles to resolve specific moral dilemmas.

indénombrable

1. Specious reasoningC2formal

   The use of clever but false or misleading arguments, especially in moral or legal questions.

   raisonnement spécieux

   • The lawyer's argument was dismissed as mere casuistry.
   • Politicians often resort to casuistry to justify unpopular decisions.
   • His explanation was full of casuistry, twisting the facts to suit his narrative.

   Synonymesequivocationfallaciousnesssophistryspeciousness

2. Applied ethicsC2formal

   A method of ethical reasoning that applies general moral principles to specific cases to resolve dilemmas.

   Casuistique (éthique appliquée)

   • Casuistry was a key tool in medieval moral philosophy.
   • The priest used casuistry to address the complex ethical question.
   • Modern bioethics often employs casuistry to analyze medical dilemmas.