Lesson 1: Ad Hominem

Spot the Faulty Logic #

During a class discussion about school uniforms, Jake says, “I think uniforms would save families money.” Emma responds, “That’s silly, Jake always wears the same shirt anyway. He doesn’t know anything about fashion.”

Discussion: Talk with your teacher about this example. What seems wrong with Emma’s response?

How/Why It’s Often Used #

People use Ad Hominem when they can’t think of a good response to someone’s argument, or when they want to distract from the real issue. It’s easier to criticize a person than to think through complicated ideas. Ad Hominem arguments can be found anywhere emotions run high and patience wears thin. It’s one of the most common fallacies around because it’s an easy way to get around having to deal with a real argument. This kind of bad logic attacks the person and is often successful at deflecting from the point entirely. However, if you catch it and maintain your cool in the face of a personal attack, it is easily refuted as nothing more than irrelevant unkindness.

Ad Hominem in Action #

Did you spot the faulty logic? #

Jake offered a real argument for why school uniforms might be a good idea. Emma ignored his logic and attacked him instead. However, Jake’s fashion sense and preference of clothing has nothing to do with whether he is right or wrong about uniforms saving families money.

Second Example #

Two siblings are cleaning the kitchen. Valerie: “You shouldn’t put the cast iron pan in the dishwasher; it ruins the seasoning.” Jackson: “Why should I listen to you? You don’t know anything about cleaning, your bedroom is a total disaster zone.”

The Flaw #

Whether Valerie’s bedroom is spotless or a disaster zone is completely irrelevant to the chemistry of what a dishwasher does to a cast iron pan. She could be the messiest person on Earth and still be correct about the pan. Jackson is trying to discredit the messenger to avoid having to deal with the message.