Ad Hominem Fallacy
Also known as: Attack the Person, Argumentum ad Hominem, Personal Attack Fallacy
Formulated by Aristotle (-350)
Definition
A logical fallacy in which an argument is rejected or dismissed not by addressing its substance, but by attacking the character, motives, or personal attributes of the person making it. Rather than engaging with the logic or evidence presented, the attacker diverts attention to irrelevant personal traits. First systematically analyzed by Aristotle in his Sophistical Refutations, the ad hominem remains one of the most common and pernicious fallacies in public discourse, politics, and everyday debate.