Chapter 4
Confrontational maneuvering by personal attack
Article outline
- 4.1Introduction
- 4.2Different perspectives on personal attacks/ad hominem
- 4.3Personal attacks as a mode of confrontational maneuvering
- 4.3.1Direct personal attacks
- 1.Attacking the person by accusation of bad character
- 2.Attacking the person by accusation of bad faith
- 3.Attacking the person by accusation of low intelligence
- 4.Attacking the person for lacking expertise
- 4.3.2Circumstantial personal attacks
- 1.Attacking the person by accusation of suspicious motives
- 2.Attacking the person by ascribing suspicious interests
- 4.3.3You Too personal attacks
- 1.Inconsistency between someone’s words and actions
- 2.Inconsistency between someone’s past and present actions
- 3.Inconsistency between someone’s previous and present words
- 4.Just words but no actions
- 4.4The strategic use of personal attack in making a convincing case
- 4.5Conclusion
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Notes