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Politics : View from the Center and Left
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To: spiral3 who wrote (70706)6/4/2008 1:53:37 PM
From: Lane3  Read Replies (2) of 542763
 
ad hominem is an attack on character.

Specifically, on the character of the party with whom you're debating.

Do we agree

Yes.

Or am I to understand that personal attacks are never proper arguments.

IMO, personal attacks (I'm using the term in the context of this thread) are never proper argument. Making an argument that involves criticizing the character of some relevant third party is not a personal attack.

(If you're defining personal attack is any comment about a third party that negatively addresses their character, for example, Osama is a murderous savage, that's something separate from a discussion of the ad hominem.)
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