name-calling

Name calling, or ad hominem attack, is the logical fallacy where the person is attacked rather than that person’s argument. In the election the most prevalent ad hominems were “Bush is stupid,” or “Kerry is a traitor.” Neither one of these claims is supported by accurate evidence, rather their use is simply for the purpose of demeaning the person. Consider this.

President Bush actually has an above average IQ according to records, has an MBA from Harvard, and in general, this doesn’t usually warrant the definition, “stupid.” Senator Kerry was outspoken about the war in Vietnam when he returned from duty. Some of his testimony may have been unfortunate and had a detrimental effect on the POW’s plight, but he was speaking an opinion as an American and was working within the system. He did not go over to the “other side,” nor did he renounce his country. Please note, Senator Kerry did not call President Bush “stupid,” nor did President Bush call Senator Kerry “traitor.”

So, what do we learn from this? Ad hominem attacks are never helpful. If you want to influence the position of others you have to be in relationship with them. You want the other person to be thinking as clear as possible, and because verbal attacks put someone in a defensive, anxious mode, clear thinking is not promoted. If you actually want someone to see your side of the argument, you want them at their best thinking.