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Pastimes : Let's Talk About Our Feelings!!!
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To: epicure who wrote (54186)9/2/1999 6:59:00 PM
From: jbe  Read Replies (1) of 108807
 
I think that if people on this thread were to sit down and draw up rules of "fair debate," they would exclude "ad hominem" argument as unfair. "Ad hominem" argument is not simply a logical fallacy; it is also, most frequently, a deliberate dodge, and often consciously designed to offend as well. People here may indeed indulge in ad hominem argument "all the time", as you say; but most of them, I would submit, know they are doing so, and will often back down if called on it. (Of course, insulting someone is not in itself an "ad hominem" argument; only using the insult as a substitute for a reasoned response is.)

Heck, if we can decide that "hitting below the belt" is unfair in genuine boxing, we can certainly decide that it is unfair in verbal boxing as well. And we can recognize a "foul" when we see one, however imprecise our tools of language are. JIMO.

Joan
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