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Yes, but there is a difference between "he is an asshole, which means that he blows everything out of proportion, and I don't believe him with this story" and "
by filoleg 5y ago
Yes, but there is a difference between "he is an asshole, which means that he blows everything out of proportion, and I don't believe him with this story" and "there are plenty of situations that actually happened where he seems to always blow the situation out of proportion and exaggerate to unjustifiably paint people in terrible light, and therefore I believe he is an asshole".
The former would be an ad hominem reasoning, but the latter one wouldn't be. And the parent comment you replied to was the latter.
- daenz 5y ago>...therefore I believe he is an asshole Is an attack directed against the person rather than their position, and is therefore ad hominem
- moron4hire 5y agoThe mistake you're making is missing that the whole issue is one of character. He has not presented any irrefutable or falsifiable facts (indeed, he speaks in thinly veiled code, so we can't be completely sure who he's talking about, even though it's really a pretty good bet). He's speaking on the character of the people he worked with. His own character is therefore completely on the table for criticism. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_hominem#Valid_types_of_ad_hominem_arguments https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_hominem#Valid_types_of_ad_h... > Ad hominem arguments are relevant where the person being criticised is advancing arguments from authority, or testimony based on personal experience, rather than proposing a formal syllogism.
- daenz 5y agoThat's fair, you convinced me.