8. Question 8

Read the following argument and answer the questions that follow.
‘James? A Chief Constable? Are you serious? He has two convictions for drunk driving. The guy is so irresponsible. No-one in their right mind would appoint him to this job.’
(a) Describe the essential features of an ad hominem fallacy.
(b) State why this argument is not an example of an ad hominem fallacy.


*** GPT says ***

(a) The ad hominem fallacy is a type of argument that attacks a person's character or personal traits, rather than addressing the substance of their argument. It involves attacking the person making the argument, rather than addressing the merits of the argument itself. In other words, instead of evaluating the argument on its own merits, the ad hominem fallacy attempts to discredit the argument by discrediting the person making it.

(b) This argument is not an example of an ad hominem fallacy because it is not attacking the person making the argument, but rather questioning their suitability for a particular job. The argument is based on the premise that James has two convictions for drunk driving, which suggests that he may be irresponsible and not suitable for the position of Chief Constable. This is a relevant consideration in evaluating his suitability for the job, rather than an attempt to discredit his argument on some unrelated basis. Therefore, this argument is not an example of an ad hominem fallacy.