An ad hominem fallacy (Latin for "against the man") occurs when someone attempts to dismiss an opposing view by attacking the character of someone who holds that view. This is a fallacy because a criticism of a person's character does not amount to a criticism of their views. To reject a view with good reason, we need to have compelling objections to the view itself.
Example #1:
In the opening minute of this anti-Romney video, which has over a million views on youtube, Romney is attacked for being a "flip-flop." However, even if it is true that Romney has changed his mind about some things, it does not follow that his current views are mistaken. This video, however, might tempt us to disregard Romney's views if we aren't careful.
Example #1:
In the opening minute of this anti-Romney video, which has over a million views on youtube, Romney is attacked for being a "flip-flop." However, even if it is true that Romney has changed his mind about some things, it does not follow that his current views are mistaken. This video, however, might tempt us to disregard Romney's views if we aren't careful.
Example #2:
In another popular anti-Romney video, he is attacked for being "out of touch" with middle and lower class Americans. Among other things, the ad criticizes Romney for the nice cars that he owns. But as we hope you can see, the cars Romney and his wife drive do not give us reason to disagree with his views on political issues.