What is Ad Hominem? Definiton and Meaning

Ad Hominem is a Latin term that literally translates to “against the man” and is a logical fallacy in which one attempts to undermine the validity of an argument by attacking the character or circumstances of the one making the argument, rather than addressing the issue at hand.

This is a very common logical fallacy and is often used in political arguments.

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Ad Hominem Example

An example of Ad Hominem is “John is wrong, his opposition to this bill is based on his religious beliefs, which he bases on the Bible, but the Bible is just a book of fiction. ”

That’s an example of the logical fallacy Ad Hominem.

Function of Ad Hominem in literature

Ad Hominem is often used in an attempt by one person to dismiss the arguments of another individual.

As an example, an atheist may dismiss the biblical arguments that a Christian is making about the existence of heaven and hell by saying, “How can you take the Bible seriously? It is just a book of fiction. ”

Therefore, the atheist is attempting to dismiss the arguments of the Christian by using Ad Hominem as a logical fallacy.

This particular Ad Hominem as a logical fallacy is more than just simple name calling. It is an attempt to make people discount the arguments of one person based on the character of the person making the arguments.

This logical fallacy is often used by people who are debating the existence of a deity. Atheists will often attack the Bible by saying that the Bible is a book of fiction, thereby attempting to discredit the arguments of other individuals in favor of the idea of a deity.

Conclusion

Ad Hominem is a logical fallacy in which one attempts to undermine the validity of an argument by attacking the character or circumstances of the one making the argument, rather than addressing the issue at hand.

So, keep that in mind: Ad Hominem is a very common logical fallacy where one attempts to dismiss the arguments of another person by attacking the person’s character rather than dealing with the issue the person is raising.