Ad Hominem Arguments
By Edwin L. Young, PhD
It is not the politicians that prevent intelligent decision making and progress by appealing to the lowest common denominator in the public. It is the media by using or permitting ad Hominem arguments over the air. By lazily or deliberately falling into this linguistic practice, it is the media that is catering to the lowest common denominator. The media permits or even encourages politicians and pundits to use this tactic because they know people will listen when media personalities dish out misinformation-crap that will inflame the people’s emotions, stimulate their interest, and, unfortunately, shape their opinions. Media reporters, pundits, politicians, and political and religious types know how to re-construe happenings and information so as to appeal to and inflame the lowest common denominator. What is more damnable is this practice of using ad Hominem arguments, discrediting, and character assassination to silence their opponents in a debate.
Also guilty are the intellectuals who use stereotyping and labeling to discount the messengers, that is to say, the media. They are also using ad Hominem arguments and
appealing to feelings or prejudices rather than intellect. In taking this path, they are likewise attacking both the media and their opponent's character rather than trying to answer the contentions made by debating their political opponents and media personalities with verifiable, factual information.When I find this kind of response in myself, I know I must learn to counter this trend by exposing it in myself. Whenever I hear myself making this mistake and I detect when my own emotions are determining my reactions, I too must make myself step back and ask: Exactly what is information I have and what is the verifiability status of it that renders it a more exact and complete description or explanation of the subject? When I hear my own words expressing a paltry "Yeah!" or "Boo!" rather than a logical argument with verifiable facts, I must upbraid myself and correct myself and discipline myself to get back on the high road.
If I have no information to counter the position I am opposing, then I must learn to be content to insist on maintaining an open mind until I am able to uncover the necessary, more correct, more accurate, more complete, more verifiable, and genuinely authentic information.
Would that there were ways to altogether outlaw ad Hominem arguments from the media.