4 ms·

ad hominem

• kylemaxwell 13y ago
  No - the grandparent did not engage in any attack. It provided context.
  • deleted 13y ago
    [deleted]
  • kolinko 13y ago
    How is that context relevant? Wasn't the intention behind the context to discredit the author?
    • vampirechicken 13y ago
      The context, without further comment, allows the reader to be informed of the perspectives and possible biases of the author. I ask "How that is not relevant?"
• dllthomas 13y ago
  Ad hominem is entirely relevant to the portion of the argument which rested on the authority of the speaker.
• jdlshore 13y ago
  You could say that my comment was abuse, bullying, or passive aggressive sniping, but it isn't ad hominem, because I didn't say he was wrong. :-) The bio was presented without comment. But, since you (didn't) ask, I thought the essay was pretentious. The other essays I read on the site felt that way too. The frequent touting of vague credentials, the complex writing style, and even the styling "D. Marshall Lemcoe Jr." all serve to paint a picture of someone who's smart but not entirely confident in himself. I'd encourage the writer to stop hiding behind his words, tell more simple stories about his own experiences, and draw fewer grandiose conclusions. Let the point make itself. For more about the difference between ad hominem and abuse, read this incredibly awesome essay that I found years ago and have kept bookmarked all this time, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to whip it out. Thank you for providing that opportunity. "The Ad Hominem Fallacy Fallacy." http://plover.net/~bonds/adhominem.html http://plover.net/~bonds/adhominem.html