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Single Idea 15842

[filed under theme 2. Reason / F. Fallacies / 7. Ad Hominem ]

Full Idea

Judicious use of an opponent's assumptions is quite capable of producing a perfectly reasonable ad hominem refutation of the opponent's thesis.

Gist of Idea

An ad hominem refutation is reasonable, if it uses the opponent's assumptions

Source

Verity Harte (Plato on Parts and Wholes [2002], 1.6)

Book Ref

Harte,Verity: 'Plato on Parts and Wholes' [OUP 2002], p.35

The 5 ideas with the same theme [attacking an opponent's motives instead of their arguments]:

12573 Ad Hominem: press a man with the consequences of his own principle [Locke]
23655 An ad hominem argument is good, if it is shown that the man's principles are inconsistent [Reid]
15842 An ad hominem refutation is reasonable, if it uses the opponent's assumptions [Harte,V]
14231 We should always apply someone's theory of meaning to their own utterances [Liggins]
6696 The Ad Hominem Fallacy criticises the speaker rather than the argument [PG]