Argumentum ad hominem discredits a claim by attacking the person who states it rather than addressing the evidence. It can be direct, circumstantial, or by association.
Example
“Do not take their report seriously; they are an activist.”
(The conclusion avoids evaluating data, methods, or results.)
Applied example (political)
“Do not discuss the numbers: it comes from a union, so it is propaganda.”
(The source is attacked to avoid the content.)
Applied example (mystical)
“If you doubt the healing, your energy is impure.”
(The critic is attacked instead of the evidence.)
Why it is fallacious
- The validity of an argument does not depend on the speaker’s character.
- It shifts attention from evidence to the messenger.
- It enables political or ideological manipulation.
How to spot it
- The discussion centers on the person, not the content.
- Background, affiliation, or motives are used as refutation.
- Verifiable data are ignored.
How to respond
- Return to the point: “What evidence supports that?”.
- Separate the speaker’s conduct from the argument’s validity.
- Require refutation of premises, not of the messenger.