The ad dictum simpliciter fallacy (or accident fallacy) happens when a general rule is treated as if it had no exceptions, and then applied to a particular case that is actually an exception.
Example
“Natural is always good for health. This remedy is natural, therefore it is safe for everyone.”
(Dose, allergies, interactions, and clinical evidence are ignored.)
Applied example (political)
“Democracy always brings prosperity. This country is democratic, so its economy is fine.”
(Context and exceptions are ignored.)
Applied example (mystical)
“Everything ancestral is wise. This technique is ancestral, therefore it is correct.”
(Current evidence is ignored.)
Why it is fallacious
- It turns a tendency into a universal law.
- It ignores conditions that limit the rule.
- It moves from statistical regularities to individual cases without support.
How to spot it
- Absolute words: “always”, “never”, “all”, “none”.
- A jump from general statements to specific conclusions.
- No mention of exceptions or boundary conditions.
How to respond
- Ask for exceptions and context.
- Request evidence for the specific case.
- Reframe the rule with its real scope: “in general” is not “in every case”.