Ad hominem is known as attacking the person or the entity where information comes from. The goal of this logical fallacy is to discredit the source so the statement or content is less valuable in the eyes of the audience.
When someone uses the ad hominem fallacy effectively, the audience may no longer believe the source of information at that moment and in the future. It can cause long-term damage to someone who is trying to make a logical argument and can even harm their reputation.
Types of Ad Hominem Fallacies
There are many types of ad hominem fallacies that someone might use to attack an opponent instead of their argument. Here are a few to look out for:
- Tu quoque: This fallacy uses a person’s past actions against them. This can make the opponent look like a bad person, a hypocrite, or someone who changes their mind frequently.
- Abusive: This type uses personal attacks to directly injure the opponent.
- Guilt by association: This attack attempts to connect the opponent with an undesirable group in the eyes of the audience.
- Poisoning the well: Similar to guilt by association, this type uses prejudices or beliefs about an opponent against them.
When utilizing an ad hominem attack, the presenter will take any sort of dirt, misinformation, or negative perceptions against an opponent and use it against them.