Ad What? Ad Hominem
Have you ever been in a discussion—private or public/online—and experienced the other person resorting to personal attacks rather than addressing the issues? If so, you have experienced an ad hominem attack.
In conversations, discussions, and debates, an ad hominem fallacy occurs when someone resorts to name-calling, instead of argumentation. They seek to attack a person’s character, motives, or other attributes instead of engaging with the substance of the person’s actual argument.
2 Primary Types of Ad Hominem Attacks
There are several types of ad hominem fallacies, each with distinct characteristics. The two primary ones are:
Abusive Ad Hominem: This involves directly insulting or attacking the other person’s character, intelligence, or personal traits in a false, immature attempt to discredit their argument. Circumstantial Ad Hominem: This type questions the other person’s motives or circumstances, suggesting their argument is invalid because of personal bias, affiliations, or self-interest.
Note: Some people distinguish between ad hominem fallacies and ad hominem attacks.
An ad hominem fallacy might say, “Your argument is wrong because you are mean (or angry, or stupid, or self-centered).”
An ad hominem attack communicates, “You’re wrong and you are mean (or angry, stupid, biased).”
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