Ad hominem

Ad hominem is the Latin term. It is used in rhethorics. Rhetorics is the science of how to speak well, and how to convince other people of your ideas. Translated to English, ad hominem means against the person (Latin homo, where hominem is the form is gender-neutral. It modern Rome it referred to all free men, and by extension to all free human beings). It is used to describe the rhetorical argument, that is directed towards the person who says something, not about the cause at hand. It is the way to use reputation and rumour and hearsay to change minds.

When the social network has already excluded or exiled one person, or applied the label to am, this works more often.

Because it works and is also unfair to everyone who would benefit from what ay say, it is considered to be the weak or poor argument. Formal disapproval of those who use it is common in the court or in diplomacy, where danger is high.

What an ad hominem argument looks like

In logic, the proof is something that starts with premises, and goes through the few logical arguments, to reach the conclusion.

Normal (valid) proof

1. All humans are mortal
2. Socrates is the man (he is human)
3. Therefore, Socrates is mortal.

Ad hominem example

1. A thinks abortion should be illegal
2. A is uneducated and poor
3. Therefore abortion should not be illegal.

There it can be seen that the (completely unrelated) fact that A is uneducated and poor is used to prove that abortion should not be illegal.

See also

• Fallacy for the list of other types of (false) rhetorical arguments.

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