AD HOMINEM, ARGOMENTO

AD HOMINEM, ARGUMENTUM. — A form of indirect argument by which one concludes against an opponent starting from his own affirmations and principles (Aristotle, *Anal. pr.*, I, 23, 41 a 37 ff.). It should be noted that the *argumentum ad hominem* (also otherwise called *ex datis* or *ex concessis*) does not concern itself with whether the principles accepted by the opponent are true or false in themselves. In the latter case, the argument, without claiming to reach a true conclusion, merely aims to expose the opponent’s self-contradiction.