exception theory no doubt you have heard that for every rule there is an exception exception theory expands upon this premise to say that for every exception there is an exception ad infinitium that's latin for a long time take the rule that black is black when describing color this rule might be true without exception an exception to the rule that for every rule there is an exception however black might refer to race instead of color and many blacks retain few characteristics of black culture again there may be exceptions exception theory can be stated in another way for every rule not all relevant variables or states may have been determined