3 ms·

This is the ad-hominem fallacy and is not at all relevant to the correctness of his point. I don't think it's an ad-hominem to critique design of the site crit

• tedsanders 13y ago
  It sort of is. If I say George Bush is stupid, and you reply that I'm stupid, you haven't really refuted my point. Though maybe if I say George Bush should recycle, and you reply that I don't recycle, you've indirectly challenged my point by bringing attention to my contradictory hypocrisy. Hmm.
  • talmand 13y ago
    Saying you're stupid for calling someone else stupid can sometimes be a proper response. I think you have to state why you think the person is stupid and for it to be a valid reason to avoid the response. Sort of like you did with the recycle version of the statement.
  • mmanfrin 13y ago
    Wrong analogy. It's like someone wearing a trashbag telling you you have no style, and someone pointing out that trash-bag-guy has no style either, so his opinion of what looks good is called in to question.
  • nathanb 13y ago
    Your second example is a fallacy of circumstance. The virtues of recycling should be examined on their own merits, not based on how well an individual adheres to them. I can provide empirical, qualitative reasons why recycling saves energy. Does the fact that I chucked a glass bottle into a trash can invalidate these reasons? No, it just makes me a hypocrite. It calls my character into question, but my facts stand apart from that. Thus, it is still an ad-hominem argument.