Ad Hominem Abusive and Circumstantial Fallacies

Week3

Ad Hominem Abusive Definition

• Attacking a person making an argument, rather than attacking the argument itself. When the attack on the person is irrelevant to the argument itself.

• Personal attacks• Name calling• Refutation of charater

Ad Hominem Abusive Example

• My opponent suggests that lowering taxes will be a good idea -- this is coming from a woman who eats a pint of Ben and Jerry’s each night!

• The fact that the woman loves her ice cream, has nothing to do with the lowering of taxes, and therefore, is irrelevant to the argument. Ad hominem attacks are usually made out of desperation when one cannot find a decent counter argument.

Ad Hominem Circumstantial

• Suggesting that the person who is making the argument is biased, or predisposed to take a particular stance, and therefore, the argument is necessarily invalid.

• Appeal to motive• Conflict of interest• Vested interest

Ad Hominem Circumstantial Example

• Salesman: This car gets better than average gas mileage and is one of the most reliable cars according to Consumer Reports.

• Will: I doubt it—you obviously just want to sell me that car.

• The fact that the salesmen has a vested interest and selling Will the car does not mean that he is lying. He may be, but this is not something you can conclude solely on his interests. It is reasonable to assume that salespeople sell the products and services they do because they believe in them.

Ad Hominem Circumstantial Exception

• As the bias or conflict of interest becomes more relevant to the argument, usually signified by a lack of other evidence, the argument is seen as less of a fallacy and more as a legitimate motive.

• When you know you have something to gain from a position you hold (assuming, of course, you are not guilty of this fallacy for holding the position), be upfront about it and bring it up before someone else does.

I will lower taxes and end the war in

Vietnam

Of course you say that, you

just want to be elected

president