An ad hominem (Latin for "to the person") is a type of argument or fallacy where instead of addressing the substance of someone's argument, the attacker targets the character, motive, or other personal attributes of the person making the argument. This tactic diverts attention from the actual issue by focusing on irrelevant personal traits, thereby avoiding genuine debate
. There are several forms of ad hominem arguments, including:
- Abusive ad hominem : Directly attacking someone's character to discredit their argument.
- Circumstantial ad hominem : Suggesting hypocrisy or bias in the person making the argument.
- Bias ad hominem : Arguing that the person's social position or interests invalidate their argument.
- Poisoning the well : Preemptively discrediting someone by presenting negative information before they speak.
- Tu quoque ("you too") : Responding to criticism by accusing the critic of the same fault
The key feature of an ad hominem fallacy is that the personal attack is irrelevant to the truth or validity of the argument itself. For example, dismissing a scientific claim because of the scientist's personal habits or appearance would be an ad hominem fallacy
. In summary, an ad hominem is a personal attack used to undermine an argument by attacking the person rather than the argument's content, often serving as a diversion from the actual topic under discussion
