ad hominem

English

Etymology

Ellipsis of the Latin expression argumentum ad hominem (“argument at the person”). It can also mean attacking the messenger.

Noun

Examples
John Rawls was biased, so no one should take his theory of justice seriously. They’re biased, so they’re wrong.

ad hominem (plural ad hominems)

1. Short for argumentum ad hominem: A fallacious objection to an argument or factual claim by appealing to a characteristic or belief of the person making the argument or claim, rather than by addressing the substance of the argument or producing evidence against the claim; an attempt to argue against an opponent's idea by discrediting the opponent themself.
2. A personal attack.

   (Can we add an example for this sense?)

Antonyms

• ad verecundiam (see Wikipedia:Argument from authority)
• appeal to authority
• ipse dixit

Hyponyms

• appeal to motive
• argumentum ad feminam
• argumentum ad invidiam
• damn by association (a.k.a. guilt by association)
• Kafkatrap
• playing the man and not the ball
• poisoning the well
• tone policing
• traitorous critic falacy
• tu quoque

 

Translations

logical fallacy

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 对人不对事, 以人废言 (zh)

• Finnish: ad hominem
• Japanese: 対人論証 (taijin ronshō)
• Portuguese: ad hominem (pt) m

• Spanish: ad hominem
• Tagalog: katwirang umaantig sa sarilintao

personal attack

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 人身攻擊 (zh), 人身攻击 (zh) (rénshēn gōngjī, rénshēn gōngjí)

• Finnish: ad hominem, henkilökohtaisuus (fi)
• French: attaque personnelle f
• German: persönlicher Angriff m

• Japanese: 人身攻撃 (jinshin kōgeki)
• Portuguese: ad hominem (pt) m
• Russian: перехо́д на ли́чности m (perexód na líčnosti), ли́чные напа́дки f pl (líčnyje napádki)
• Spanish: ataque personal m
• Swedish: personangrepp (sv) n

Adjective

ad hominem (not comparable)

1. Of or relating to this kind of fallacious objection.

   Well that's an ad hominem argument.

Adverb

ad hominem (not comparable)

1. In an ad hominem manner.

   He tried to make his case by arguing ad hominem.

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Portuguese

Adjective

ad hominem (plural ad hominem, comparable)

1. (of an argument) ad hominem (being a personal attack)

Adverb

ad hominem (not comparable)

1. In an ad hominem manner.