On Mon, Jun 25, 2012 at 12:07 PM, Gordon Joly
<gordon.joly(a)pobox.com> wrote:
On 25/06/12 12:02, brian.mcneil(a)wikinewsie.org
wrote:
You have to wonder, is surrounding himself with blithering idiots the
only way David Cameron escapes looking like an utter prat?
I would say that was an "ad hominem" remark.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_hominem
From: Martin Poulter <infobomb(a)gmail.com>
No, Brian's criticism or speculation about a person does not
constitute Argumentum Ad Hominem. These logical terms have a specific
meaning (described quite well in the Wikipedia article) and it irks me
to see "Ad Hominem" used to mean "insult" or "criticism".
Thank you, Martin.
Ad Hominem is, put simply, ignoring the idea and attacking the person. I
always liked the old Usenet .sig that puts the point across
subversively: "Ideas are beautiful and fragile things; attack people,
not ideas."
Brian McNeil
--
Wikinews, Accredited Reporter. Personal: brian.mcneil(a)o2.co.uk
"Facts don't cease to be facts, but news ceases to be news."