Ad Hominem
Also known as: ah, adhom, ad-hom
Attacking the person making an argument instead of the argument itself.
Share: also:
In plain terms
An ad hominem happens when someone responds to an argument by attacking the person making it, rather than engaging with what was actually said. "You're wrong because you're an idiot" is the template.
The phrase is Latin for "to the person." It points at the target of the response: the arguer, not the argument.
Why it's fallacious
An argument either works or it doesn't based on its premises and its reasoning. The character, profession, motives, or hygiene of the person delivering it doesn't change whether the logic holds.
If a known liar says it's raining, that isn't proof it's dry outside. Check the window.
Canonical example
"Of course you'd say that minimum wage should be raised. You've never run a business in your life."
The response doesn't address the wage argument at all. It claims the speaker isn't qualified to hold the view, which is a comment on the person, not the position. The argument about minimum wage stands or falls on its economics, not the arguer's resume.
Counter-example (not a fallacy)
"You claim you saw the crash firsthand. Court records show you weren't in the state that day."
This looks like a personal attack, but it isn't ad hominem. The argument depends on the speaker's testimony, so challenging their credibility is directly relevant. Attacking a witness's reliability is fair game when the claim rests on their witnessing.
The line to watch: is the argument about the person, or does the argument require the person to be trustworthy? The second case is legitimate.
How to fix it
If you've been linked here, the fix is to set aside whatever you said about the person and engage with the argument. Their character, qualifications, motives, or past behavior may all be true and may all be irritating, but none of them change whether their claim holds up. Reply to the claim directly: agree, disagree, ask for evidence, point out a flaw. Anything that stays on the argument is a stronger move than anything that stays on the person.
If you're on the receiving end, you can help by restating the original claim without yourself attached: "Set me aside for a moment. The claim is X. What do you make of X?" That gives the other side a clean opening to engage.