Question

What is it called when someone replies to an argument by attacking or appealing to the person making the claim rather than by addressing the argument?

1) Ad hominem
2) Straw man
3) Red herring
4) Appeal to authority

Answer 1

inal answer:

An ad hominem attack occurs when someone responds to an argument by targeting the person who made the claim rather than the argument itself. It is a logical fallacy that shifts the focus from the substance of the argument to the individual, and is considered an irrelevant attack in a debate.

Step-by-step explanation:

When someone replies to an argument by attacking or appealing to the person making the claim, rather than by addressing the actual substance of the argument, it is known as an ad hominem attack. This term, which means "toward the man" in Latin, indicates that the focus of the rebuttal is on the characteristics or behavior of the individual making the argument, rather than on the argument itself. An example of an ad hominem attack could be dismissing someone's stance on education reform by saying, "You can't possibly understand the issue because you're not a teacher." Such a response does not address the merits or problems of the education reform proposal but instead targets the person's identity or qualifications. This is considered a logical fallacy because it does not engage with the argument at hand and seeks to undermine it by attacking the person rather than the argument they present.

Answer 2

An ad hominem attack is when someone responds to an argument by attacking the person who made the claim rather than addressing the substance of the argument itself.

Step-by-step explanation:

When someone replies to an argument by attacking or appealing to the person making the claim rather than addressing the argument, it is called an ad hominem attack. This kind of personal attack is a logical fallacy where the focus is shifted from the argument to the individual. Instead of engaging with the substance of the claim, the responder might criticize the arguer's character, intelligence, or other attributes. The ad hominem fallacy is a diversionary tactic that aims to discredit the opponent's argument by undermining their personal credibility rather than logically refuting their position.