AD HOMINEM

 AD HOMINEM

ad hominem

ad ˈhɒmɪnɛm

An ad hominem argument is a personal attack on an opponent rather than addressing the actual facts or logic of their claim. 

The phrase is Latin for "to the person". 

Direct insults or name-calling aimed at a person's character.

Claiming someone is only arguing for selfish reasons or hidden motives.

Accusing the speaker of hypocrisy or saying "you do it too" instead of answering the point.

It Fails Logic because:

A person's flaws or bad habits do not make their factual point false.

It shifts focus away from the real topic to win an argument through insult.