13 Ad Hominem

Ad Hominem

This is not a new or novel idea and was known as a trap to the ancients. Classical logic and rhetoric are concerned with persuasion through constructing and communicating proper and correct arguments. Logical fallacies identify a group of faulty arguments to be aware of so we don’t fall into the trap of using them or falling for them.

One of the most famous is the “argumentum ad hominem” or ad hominem for short. Ad hominem is Latin for "to the person". It represents a negotiating pitfall in which an argument is countered by attacking the character, motive, or other attribute of the person making the argument rather than attacking the substance of the argument itself.

”An ad hominem attack against an individual, not against an idea, is highly flattering. It indicates that the person does not have anything intelligent to say about your message.”
Nassim Nicholas Taleb