specious, deceptive, or oversubtle reasoning, esp. in questions of morality; fallacious or dishonest application of general principles; sophistry.

the application of general ethical principles to particular cases of conscience or conduct.

noun

chicanery , deception , deceptiveness , delusion , equivocation , evasion , fallacy , lie , oversubtleness , sophism , sophistry , speciousness , spuriousness , trick , deceit