In which Wolf opens day 8's door... Watch this episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/6PIB3_OIUSE
Welcome to the Beware of Wolf Advent Calendar of Bad Thinking. To celebrate the holidays, I'm counting down the days until Christmas with a common type of bad thinking each day, described in 60 seconds. This holiday season, give the gift of good thinking by sharing these videos with your friends!
Today is Day 8: "The Ad Hominem Fallacy"
Wolf: Hi, I'm Wolf! Who are you?
AI: Hello, Wolf. I am an AI created by OpenAI. How can I help you today?
Wolf: Do you know about informal fallacies?
AI: Yes, I am familiar with informal fallacies. An informal fallacy is an argument that appears to be valid but actually has hidden flaws or logical gaps.
Wolf: Do you have an opinion on what fallacy you see people use most frequently?
AI: From what I've observed, the most common fallacy used by people is probably the ad hominem fallacy. This is where someone attacks an opponent's character rather than the argument itself in an attempt to discredit it.
Wolf: What would be an example of the most common sort of ad hominem you've seen?
AI: I have seen people use ad hominem attacks on a wide range of topics, but the most common type of ad hominem I've seen is when someone disparages their opponent's intelligence or expertise on a particular subject. For example, someone might say "You don't know what you're talking about, you're just a kid," in an attempt to discredit their opponent's argument.
Wolf: Why is using ad hominem a bad thing?
AI: Using ad hominem attacks is a bad thing because it fails to address the actual argument being made. By attacking someone's character or personal attributes, the attacker is missing the point of the debate and disregarding the actual merits of their opponent's argument.
Wolf: How can people be encouraged not to use ad hominem?
AI: People can be encouraged not to use ad hominem attacks by emphasizing the importance of logical reasoning and thoughtful discussion. By teaching people to focus on the argument, rather than the person making it, they can become better debaters and more effective communicators overall.
Wolf: That was great, thank you!
AI: You're welcome, and Happy Holidays!