Ad hominem means “against the man,” and this type of fallacy is sometimes called name calling or the personal attack fallacy. An ad hominem fallacy occurs when someone attacks the person instead of attacking his or her argument. This approach can act as a method of discrediting an opponent or simply deflecting or avoiding the actual topic of discussion.
In our comic, you’ll find an example of an ad hominem fallacy being used to derail a debate.
For a screen reader compatible slideshow version of the comic, please click through the below images:
When we attack the person instead of tackling the issue, our audience might think we don’t understand what’s being discussed or can’t disprove our opponent’s view. It’s better to stick to the issue at hand and avoid confusing the person with their point of view.