Ad hominem
Also called: Personal attack
Attacking the person making the argument instead of the argument.
How to spot it
Does the reply say anything about the claim itself, or only about the speaker's character, job or past?
Example
“Why believe his review of the restaurant? He's never cooked anything in his life.”
How to answer it
Agree that the person is beside the point, then return to the claim and ask what is wrong with it.
Related
- Tu quoque: Dismissing a criticism by pointing out that the critic does the same thing.
- Genetic fallacy: Judging an idea by where it came from, not by whether it is true.
- Straw man: Attacking a weaker version of what someone said, instead of what they actually said.