Ad hominems are an invalid form of reasoning. They attempt to criticize a conclusion by finding fault with the person who holds that conclusion.

My trusty Oxford Companion to Philosophy says:  "ad hominem argument. For Aristotle, a fallacy in which 'persons direct their solutions against the man, not against his arguments.' "Objectivism, of course, points to ad hominems as common, illegitimate tactics in widespread use in modern dialogues. I even think I've seen one or two used here.

So, I propose that we cut and paste any ad hominem arguments we spot in SOLO posts here, and then we can analyze them as to their validity without hi-jacking the thread in which they appear. That should be useful to everyone except those who are adept at recognizing, and themselves avoiding ad hominems. And they will like it because it will reduce the frequency of ad hominems! Fewer ad hominems means clearer discussions, which benefits all.

--Mindy