| Attacking the Person (argumentum ad hominem) | |
|---|---|
| The person presenting an argument is attacked instead of the argument itself. This takes many forms. For example, the person's character, nationality or religion may be attacked. | |
| Alternatively, it may be pointed out that a person stands to gain from a favourable outcome. Or, finally, a person may be attacked by association, or by the company he keeps. There are three major forms of Attacking the Person: | |
| ad hominem (abusive): | instead of attacking an assertion, the argument attacks the person who made the assertion. |
| ad hominem (circumstantial): | instead of attacking an assertion the author points to the relationship between the person making the assertion and the person's circumstances. |
| ad hominem (tu quoque): | this form of attack on the person notes that a person does not practise what he preaches. |
| Examples: | |
| You may argue that God doesn't exist, but you are just following a fad. (ad hominem abusive) | |
| We should discount what Premier Klein says about taxation because he won't be hurt by the increase. (ad hominem circumstantial) | |
| We should disregard Share B.C.'s argument because they are being funded by the logging industry. (ad hominem circumstantial) | |
| You say I shouldn't drink, but you haven't been sober for more than a year. (ad hominem tu quoque) | |
| Proof: | |
| Identify the attack and show that the character or circumstances of the person has nothing to do with the truth or falsity of the proposition being defended. | |