[lbo-talk] Theory Hotline

Carrol Cox cbcox at ilstu.edu
Thu Oct 9 13:27:57 PDT 2003


Cliff Staples wrote:
>
> I find a bit too much ad hominem in your response and it keeps me from wanting to respond.

Perhaps this is a bit of verbal purism, but I really do wish that more posters would distinguish between _ad hominem_ arguments and personal attacks.

An _ad hominem_ argument holds that because Mary is a jerk her statement is false.

A personasl attack holds that because Mary's statement is false, she is a jerk.

There is a big difference. Ad hominem arguments are intellectually poisonous.

Personal attacks may be impolite or even immoral, but they don't confuse the argument.

Carrol



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