The ad hominem fallacy

Attack the Messenger, not the Message.

The ad hominem fallacy (Latin for "against the man") is a logical error in which people attack the person making an argument rather than the argument itself.

Instead of evaluating the validity of the ideas, they try to discredit the person making them.

Types of Ad Hominem Attacks.

This fallacy can take several forms.

The most common is the abusive ad hominem, which involves insulting or denigrating one's opponent ("You can't take John's economic theory seriously—he didn't even finish college!").

Another form is the circumstantial ad hominem, which attempts to discredit an argument based on a person's circumstances or interests ("Of course you're defending that law—you work for the industry that benefits from it!").

A third variant is the tu quoque ("you too"), which deflects criticism by pointing out supposed hypocrisy in the opponent ("How can you tell me not to smoke when you smoked for 20 years?").

Why It's a Fallacy

The ad hominem attack is a fallacy because a person's characteristics, circumstances, or behavior are logically irrelevant to the truth or falsity of their argument.

An unlikeable person may present a perfectly valid argument, and an admirable person may present one that is completely flawed.

The merit of an argument lies in its own logical structure and the evidence that supports it, not in the identity of its speaker.

Critical Thinking as an