The exception confirms the rule: when is it true and who is the author of this statement?

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

A phrase in which its beginning and end are illogical confuses many. "Exceptions only confirm the rule" - is that right? Often it becomes a kind of "trump card" in disputes. When an opponent gives an example of what refutes the judgments of another, then they say a similar aphorism, sometimes without thinking about how correct its use is. What historical detail underlies the statement, who said it? What do these words mean and how to use them correctly?

Meaning of the phrase

First of all, it is only possible to claim that the exception confirms the rule when the rule has been studied and proven. The first thing that comes to mind is the rules of the Russian language, where there are words that are spelled incorrectly. They contradict all the conditions, and their spelling just needs to be remembered. A similar situation occurs withother laws and regulations, but more often than not, other laws simply take over.

An example of an exception to the rule that spiders are predators is one species that happily feeds on fruits and leaves. Another example in nature is the pink Lake Hillier in Australia. Even the water from it in a glass will be pink. This is an exception, since ordinary water is always clear, and all bodies of water have different shades of blue and blue.

History of Appearance

Self absurd, at first glance, the combination of Cicero did not say, but it was he who first used this principle in the defense of Lucius Cornelius Balba. Balba, being a native of Kadesh, was friendly with Pompey, and he gave him a second citizenship, Roman. To stir up a political dispute, detractors accused Balba of dual citizenship. The fact is that there was a clarification in Roman law: representatives of some nationalities could not have dual citizenship, that is, it was impossible to be both a Gallic and a Roman at the same time. However, there was no general ban on dual citizenship.

From here Cicero made a logical conclusion: if you need to specifically stipulate exceptions, then there is a rule to which these exceptions apply. In this case, this meant: if there is a list of nationalities that cannot obtain dual citizenship, then this clarification applies only to the listed nationalities. This is an exception. And all other peoples not mentioned in the list can receive Roman citizenship without renouncingnative. This is already a general rule, although it has not been formulated. After all, if dual citizenship were banned in principle, why then write a separate list, and a rather short one at that?

Cicero pointed out that Kades is not on the "prohibited list", which means that Balba can enjoy all the benefits of dual citizenship. This is how this thinking was born.

Examples in society

The above examples of understanding that the exception only confirms the rule can also be called the principle of "not forbidden - then allowed." Society uses this by creating its own rules. Due to the fact that they are not registered anywhere, they are cyclical and often replace each other following reforms in the government. Thus, the exception confirms the rule during the Stone Age, but may already be the rule in our own era.

A modern example found in educational institutions: students with "excellent" are more difficult to adapt to society than those who did not do well in the program or those who were at the average level. Individuals refute this, but for the most part the rule works. The contrast between these "exceptions" and those affected by them plays a big role. So why does the exception prove the rule?

Why is the phrase correct

Precisely because the number of those on whom it affects significantly exceeds the number of exceptions. The phrase that the exception proves the rule is like the 95% law. There are a very large number of cases where it worksand creates a rule. But it is the exceptions that set off and allow you to see how necessary this principle is, where it is applied, and how rarely it is possible to get out of its scope.

Thus, it is customary to believe that birds are flying creatures, and they need wings to fly. But what about chickens, penguins, ostriches in this case? In the presence of these examples, no one says that the rule is wrong and birds do not fly. On the contrary, the vast majority fly, and the part that does not obey the above statement emphasizes the rule and makes clear the necessary conditions for its implementation.

Exception to rule: when not valid

It would be a gross mistake, while having a discussion with an opponent, to refute all his arguments by saying that these are only exceptions. Somewhere there will be a limit when there will be more of them than situations where the rule is valid, and then the lack of knowledge in this matter will be obvious. It is categorically impossible to hide behind this statement, since it is not a universal argument in disputes.

And vice versa, when the sentence is formulated correctly, the phrase itself suggests itself: students with "excellent" in most cases do not adapt well in society, birds are mostly considered to be flying, the vast majority of spiders are predators, although other species are found.

Thus, the full phrase "The exception proves the rule" is not some lost ending, but Cicero's speech itself. It was built on logic, and it is she who should be guided when necessary.use aphorism. This is not a weapon in a dispute, as many use it, but a beautiful statement that has become the rule itself, of course, with its exceptions.