Ad Hominem Fallacy


An ad hominem fallacy, also known as an “argument against the person,” is a logical fallacy in which focus is diverted from the strength of an argument itself to the qualities of the person making the argument. Ad hominem attacks can be traced back to Aristotle in his Rhetoric, where he observes that “the character of whoever presents an argument is often instrumental in the acceptance of that argument” (1). For example, if an overweight physician tells somebody to stop eating food rich in saturated fat because of the health risks, it is tempting to disregard the advice because the person giving it obviously has not been following it.

Source:

(1) Tindale, C. W. (2007). “Ad Hominem Arguments: Fallacies and Argument Appraisal.” Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 81.

 

See list of more fallacies and biases.