From the perspective of the critical thinking goal of making well-reasoned arguments, the strategy of attacking a person is a problem because it:
A) is unethical to criticize another person to such a degree.
B) does not give the person being attacked the opportunity to respond.
C) deflects the evaluation away from the argument and onto the person.
D) may not be a true portrayal of the person.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Attacking a person rather than their argument deflects the evaluation away from the actual argument and onto the person, which does not address the merits of the argument itself. This can also be seen as a fallacious tactic known as ad hominem, which is a logical error that seeks to discredit an argument by attacking the character, personal traits, or other irrelevant aspects of the person presenting the argument.

From the Perspective of the Critical Thinking Goal of Making