casuistry
noun
ca·su·ist·ry ˈkazh-wə-strē 
ˈka-zhə-
plural casuistries
1
: a resolving of specific cases of conscience, duty, or conduct through interpretation of ethical principles or religious doctrine
2
: specious argument : rationalization
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web But even those long familiar with spectacles of careerist expediency dressed up in faux-altruistic casuistry can only step back in awe when evidence of a new standard of cynical self-aggrandizement comes along. 
Gerard Baker, WSJ, 4 Jan. 2021 With his casuistry, Whitman seems intent on convincing himself, more than anyone, that this health regimen will work. Dan Piepenbring, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2017
Gerard Baker, WSJ, 4 Jan. 2021 With his casuistry, Whitman seems intent on convincing himself, more than anyone, that this health regimen will work. Dan Piepenbring, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2017 Word History
First Known Use
1723, in the meaning defined at sense 1