Ad Hominem
Critical Thinking Training Course
•
3m 28s
This name comes from the Latin and translates as 'On The Man'. So instead of attacking the argument we attack the man who makes it.
Up Next in Critical Thinking Training Course
-
Straw Man Fallacy
A 'Straw Man' is a pretend or imaginary enemy. Soldiers training for battle may use a human figure made of straw as a target for practice. Unsurprisingly, they find it easy to destroy the man made out of straw. In an argument, a straw man is a false version of your opponent's position...
-
Confirmation Bias - Critical Thinking
Confirmation bias is the tendency to look for, and accept, evidence that seems to support our existing beliefs, and to dismiss evidence against. Examples have been found in every professional area.
-
Reversion To The Mean
If you have a background in statistics you're probably familiar with the concept of reversion (return) to the mean (or average) as something we are likely to see over time. In business, we have to beware of setting store by this phenomenon.