The Ad Hominem Fallacy is committed when an attempt is made to show one's argument is flawed by attacking things about the person to justify why they are wrong rather than the argument itself. Ad Hominem is Latin for "against the person."
Examples:
The claim that a person is wrong because of their political beliefs, history, or background.
When we don't agree with someone because we dislike that person.
When the claim is made that a person is wrong because they would stand to benefit from making a particular argument, rather than examining the argument itself.
Definition: Occurs when a person attempts to show one's argument is flawed by mentioning things about the person to justify why they are wrong.
Example: Refuting an argument by accusing the arguer of bias, or of claiming that the arguer stands to profit from others accepting the argument.
Insight: Even those you dislike or believe things that you believe to be untrue might be right about some things that you are wrong about.
Insight: Arguments stand or fall based on whether its premises support its conclusion, not on the personal characteristics, motives, history, or other beliefs of the person making the claim.
Insight: No argument is refuted by demonstrating the flaws or biases of the person making the argument.
Insight: The ad hominem fallacy does not apply to testifying in court as testifying is not arguing. It is reasonable to question the motives or character of someone who is testifying, and testimony stands or falls on whether the claims made are believable.
Insight: The bias of the arguer is irrelevant to whether premises support the conclusion.
Insight: To refute an argument you need to show that evidence is insufficient, based on false assumptions, that evidence is irrelevant, that evidence has been omitted, or that improper weight has been given to pieces of evidence.
Principle: Don't reject an argument on the basis of the person making it.
Definition: Latin term meaning "against the person."
Insight: The ad hominem fallacy is committed when the argument is ignored and the person making the argument is attacked.
Insight: The purpose of using the ad hominem fallacy is to divert an audience away from the argument being made, which can be an effective strategy in "winning" the argument, but not disproving the argument.
Principle: When arguing we should respond to the other person's argument, not to the person making the argument.
Definition: Literally meaning "to the man."
Example: Labelling people communists, from a particular religion to discredit claims.
Insight: The fallacy attempts to shift focus from the idea to the person holding the idea.
Insight: The goal of an ad hominem attack is to discredit the person holding ideas or claims.
Definition: Latin for arguments "against the person."
Insight: Ad hominem is a form of argument or propaganda that attacks people that support a cause or idea, and not the cause or idea itself.
Insight: The principle of ad hominem is that if you don't like a person that supports an idea, then you should oppose the idea itself based on the person.
Definition: Latin term meaning "to the man".
Insight: The ad hominem fallacy is committed when we attack a person rather than the argument they are making, or reject the argument because of a dislike for the person.
Insight: The ad hominem fallacy is also committed when an argument is rejected because of the claim that the person would benefit from making the argument.
Insight: Ad hominem attacks against people are flattering, and indicate that the person does not have anything intelligent to say about your ideas.
Insight: The ad hominem fallacy attempts to discredit ideas based on the speaker.
Insight: The easiest way to squash dissenting arguments is to discredit the person who said it, without addressing the argument itself.
Definition: Attacking an idea by attacking the holder of it.
Insight: Ad hominem arguments have no place in Socratic discourse, although some describe Socratic questioning as ad hominem. Socrates wanted to test the holder of a claim as well as the claim itself.
Insight: The unreliability of a belief's origin (a person) is not sufficient in itself to make the belief unreliable.
Definition: Latin term meaning "against the person."
Insight: When we reject the truth of a claim just because of who made it, we commit the ad hominem fallacy.
Insight: Ad hominem attacks do not address the substance of the argument.
Definition: An attack on a person rather than their argument.
Key Insights & Principles
Logic & Bias
No argument is refuted by demonstrating the flaws or biases of the person making it.
People that you dislike based on other factors can be correct about things.
Refuting an argument requires demonstrating that the evidence provided is: (1) insufficient, (2) based on false assumptions, (3) irrelevant, (4) omitting relevant information, (5) weighted improperly towards specific pieces of evidence.
The purpose of using the ad hominem fallacy is to divert an audience away from the argument being made, which can be an effective strategy to gather support, but not to disprove the argument.
Do not reject an argument on the basis of the person making it.
