stephen cooke

Strega wrote:What would be interesting is if there were external sources to make such a definition more robust.

I have given some external examples of the usage of ad hominem in contexts apart from a logical dispute.

Davis wrote:That is new to me unseen. As I was taught…an ad hominem fallacy is an attack. Can you direct me to a book or website which explains the difference between the fallacy and attack?

I got this again for some reason. Asked and answered.

Anyway, getting the same email notification more than once happened a lot on TA. Weird that it h…[Read more]

@Unseen. I think the point is that there is no objective definition of the difference between “attack” and “fallacy” when they are appended to the term “ad hominem”.

@Davis seems to appreciate that you have a personal definition difference, but alleges that your definitions are just that. Personal.

What would be interesting is if there were…[Read more]

Davis wrote:Unseen…I asked for a reference which difines the difference between ad hominem attack and ad hominem fallacy.

So, if I say Joe Blow is an idiot without referencing any arguments he’s making or positions he’s taken, it’s not an ad hominem attack. I can only use those words in criticizing arguments? Nonsense.

You want definitions? H…[Read more]

So all it removes is the belief in god? What about the memory of belief in god? For many that belief is the glue that holds their fragile psyche together.
It would be very tempting to rid the world of it and let the chips fall where they may. But I agree with Strega, “madness and mayhem”, so no.

Impressive answers @all of you. ??

Unseen wrote:

Davis wrote:
You don’t need to reference anything you don’t want to…but the red flags are utterly flapping violently in the wind. Perhaps I am ignorant per these two terms. I don’t want to remain ignorant and…I would be delighted to learn a new, standardised and obvious set of terms used in academia or intellectual discourse…

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@unseen, the two examples you gave in your reply to me were the same as mine. We seem to be in agreement.

Davis wrote:You don’t need to reference anything you don’t want to…but the red flags are utterly flapping violently in the wind. Perhaps I am ignorant per these two terms. I don’t want to remain ignorant and…I would be delighted to learn a new, standardised and obvious set of terms used in academia or intellectual discourse. If it is so obvious I…

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Or worse, someone pushing a big red button to make all atheists born-again Christians. Keep your damn buttons!

I think the effect of pressing your button, @Davis, would be instant madness and mayhem, maybe decades later settling in to some kind of improvement, but at what cost? You can’t throw away the crutches before you heal the patient.…[Read more]

I understand hesitating both ways Simon and Belle. Let’s ask the inverse. Would you appreciate anyone removing any beliefs (rational or not), personal tastes, memories or now defunct/discredited ideas/knowledge from your mind? Would the fact that it wasn’t personally tailored for you but done en masse by a dictator with his finger on a button make…[Read more]

You don’t need to reference anything you don’t want to…but the red flags are utterly flapping violently in the wind. Perhaps I am ignorant per these two terms. I don’t want to remain ignorant and…I would be delighted to learn a new, standardised and obvious set of terms used in academia or intellectual discourse. If it is so obvious I doubt it…[Read more]

Simon Mathews wrote:Actually, my understanding is that an ad hominem fallacy is about the person not their argument. The fallacy is that you argue against a person’s personal characteristics rather than their logic. For example if you say Dr Bob’s arguments are bad because he is a Christian that is an ad hominem fallacy. If you post that Dr Bob…

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@unseen, @davis. Actually, my understanding is that an ad hominem fallacy is about the person not their argument. The fallacy is that you argue against a person’s personal characteristics rather than their logic. For example if you say Dr Bob’s arguments are bad because he is a Christian that is an ad hominem fallacy. If you post that Dr Bob is a…[Read more]

Davis wrote:Can you direct me to a book or website which explains the difference between the fallacy and attack?

You honestly don’t know the difference between an attack and a fallacy? I’m sorry. I find that hard to believe.

In a verbal attack, you are attempting to damage someone’s reputation or self-esteem. When it comes to fallacies, you are…[Read more]

@Unseen That is new to me unseen. As I was taught…an ad hominem fallacy is an attack. Can you direct me to a book or website which explains the difference between the fallacy and attack?