AD HOMINEM

Back in the days when I taught logic, I always had a section on the informal fallacies. These are errors made in arguments. For example, it is an error to argue that what is true of a whole is also true of the part. Example, a house is bigger than a human being. Therefore, a nail, which is part of a house, is bigger than a human being. Obviously wrong.

In politics one of the most common errors is what is called in Latin an ad hominem That means “against the person.” Instead of showing what is wrong with someone’s argument, the opponent attacks the person. Let’s suppose Mr. Smith is proposing a new road. He advances his reasons why the new road would be a good idea, lets say, it will ease traffic. The opponent, Mr. Meany, instead of explaining what’s wrong with that idea, attacks the person of Mr. Smith. Mr. Meany might say, “how can we believe anything Smith says since his brother-in-law is in the road building business?” Well, that may be true, but it doesn’t settle the issue of whether building a road in a good idea. It doesn’t matter anymore than if Mr. Smith’s brother-in-law sold carpet tacks. (Does anybody still make carpet tacks?) It amazes me how many people get suckered by this fallacy.

The short-hand way of doing an ad hominem is simply to put a party label on somebody. “How can Smith’s proposal for a new road be any good? He belongs to the Whig Party!!!!” This sounds an awful lot like what come out of Washington every day. I read this sort of thing in the letters column of our local newspaper. Just call somebody a socialist and that takes care of everything.

An even worse form of this fallacy is called the ad hominem abusi You just insult the person. “Mr. Smith is a lowdown, crackpot, bumbleton.” (I just made up the word bumbleton. I like the sound.) This seems to have gotten a lot of popularity lately. Just call someone a liar and you can dismiss any argument they offer. And if that doesn’t work, punch them in the nose–unless they happen to have a Secret Service escort with them.

What has happened to civility, discussing things in a rational manner? I seem to recall a Peanuts cartoon where Lucy is listening to her little brother Linus when she suddenly hauls off and hits him. She explains, “I had to sock him. He was beginning to make sense.” Yeah, right. Only now people are carrying weapons with them to have “discussions.” Just like the old west. “I’ma gonna let my gun do the talkin.”

Maybe it’s always been this bad. Maybe I just never noticed. Maybe, I’m just weary of it all.

Weary of all trumpeting, weary of all killing,
weary of all songs that sing promise, non-fulfilling,
we would raise, O Christ, one song:
We would join in singing that great music pure and strong,
wherewith heaven is ringing.

© Martin Franzmann (1907-1976)



May the Lord bless you and me and all the weary on our journey and greet us on our arrival.

Wayne








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