One type of logical fallacy commonly seen, especially in today's political climate, is the ad hominem attack. The strange looking term ad hominem is Latin for "to the man [person]," and an ad hominem attack is one where the character of the person proposing an idea is criticized rather than the idea itself. Most young people I know are intimately familiar with the ad hominem attack from arguments with their siblings. For example, you and your kid brother are debating about who should get the larger bedroom in a new house. Your kid brother points out that he has more material possessions than you do, so logic dictates that he should take the larger bedroom, to which you reply: "Shut up, fathead!" Yes, you've engaged in a (very rudimentary) form of ad hominem attack. Rather than countering kid brother's logic, you have (verbally) assaulted his person. Of course, our current political climate is a hotbed for such personal attacks. Just think back to the last two United States presidents. Bumper stickers about George W. Bush proclaimed cruelly that “Somewhere in Texas a village is missing its idiot.” And today, facebook timelines are rife with vitriol against current president Barack Obama. Seldom do these attacks reveal anything substantial about ideas or policies.
A less obvious, but still pervasive, form of ad hominem attack occurs when, for example, the congressional representative proposing a new military affairs bill is criticized for not being a veteran. Notice that this type of attack does not seriously consider the potential merits or deficiencies of the proposed bill.
So remember, attack the argument and not the man (or woman). Better yet, try listening to the argument. By keeping an open mind, you might even learn something and your own argument could become stronger and more nuanced in the process.
© 2014 Bob Dial. All rights reserved.
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