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Reddit
reddit.com › r/explainlikeimfive › eli5: what's the difference between a strawman and an ad hominem?
ELI5: What's the difference between a strawman and an ad hominem? : r/explainlikeimfive
October 24, 2021 - A straw man is setting up an easily argued position for your opponent so you can easily knock it down, making it seem like you've proved your point when your opponent has never even taken that position. An ad hominem is an attack on their personal character that has nothing to do with their ...
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OER Collective
oercollective.caul.edu.au › howtothinkcritically › chapter › failing-to-engage-ad-hominem-strawmanning-and-whataboutery
Failing to Engage: Ad hominem, strawmanning, and whataboutery – How to Think Critically
Of course, some ad hominem attacks are bad arguments even if they’re not ad hominem fallacies as such. Claims made about a person may be irrelevant to whatever is the point at issue, or they may be false. For example, if a jury member argues that the defendant must be guilty because they have beady eyes and a weak chin, this is not a good argument, because these sort of facts about a person’s appearance are irrelevant to the question of whether or not the person is guilty of some crime. ​A strawman argument is when someone distorts or caricatures an opponent’s arguments or views, and then attacks the weakened version rather than the real argument.
Discussions

Ad Hominem, Red Herring, Straw Man Logical Fallacies and more
Fallacy fallacy: Just because I made an logical error, doesn't mean I'm wrong over all More on reddit.com
🌐 r/coolguides
209
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December 16, 2018
Ad hominems vs Strawman Arguments - Battles - Comic Vine
Well, ideally, none of them should get you anywhere in a debate, but strawmans probably work better because they're less likely to be noticed, and there is still a debate (albeit an irrelevant one) left to be had after it's done. With ad hominem attacks, the debate may just stop being a debate ... More on comicvine.gamespot.com
🌐 comicvine.gamespot.com
ELI5: What's the difference between a strawman and an ad hominem?
A straw man is setting up an easily argued position for your opponent so you can easily knock it down, making it seem like you've proved your point when your opponent has never even taken that position. An ad hominem is an attack on their personal character that has nothing to do with their argument. Edited for spelling. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/explainlikeimfive
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October 24, 2021
What is this an example of (ad hominem, straw man, genuine logic flaw - or something else)?
Pedantry lul--with the whole quibbling over minor details instead of addressing substance. This can also be characterized as an issue with tracking/relevancy. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/logic
12
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January 10, 2026
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Quora
quora.com › Whats-the-difference-between-a-straw-man-and-an-ad-hominem
What's the difference between a straw man and an ad hominem? - Quora
Answer (1 of 7): “What's the difference between a straw man and an ad hominem?” A straw man fallacy is when you misrepresent the opposing view to make it easier to defeat. You’re basically making a “dummy” version of your opponent’s ...
form of argument and an informal fallacy based on giving the impression of refuting an opponent's argument, while actually refuting an argument that was not presented by that opponent
Straw man - Wikipedia
A straw man fallacy (sometimes written as strawman) is the informal fallacy of refuting an argument different from the one actually under discussion, while not recognizing or acknowledging the distinction. One who … Wikipedia
Factsheet
Named after straw man
Factsheet
Named after straw man
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Straw_man
Straw man - Wikipedia
February 16, 2026 - Luther's Latin text does not use the phrase "man of straw", but it is used in a widespread early 20th century English translation of his work, the Philadelphia Edition. Ad hominem – Attacking the person rather than the argument
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Purdue OWL
owl.purdue.edu › owl › general_writing › academic_writing › logic_in_argumentative_writing › fallacies.html
Fallacies - Purdue OWL® - Purdue University
Straw Man: This move oversimplifies an opponent's viewpoint and then attacks that hollow argument. People who don't support the proposed state minimum wage increase hate the poor. In this example, the author attributes the worst possible motive to an opponent's position.
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LinkedIn
linkedin.com › all › soft skills › analytical skills
Ad Hominem vs Straw Man Fallacies: How to Tell and Avoid Them
March 6, 2024 - The main difference between ad hominem and straw man fallacies is that ad hominem attacks the person, while straw man attacks the argument. Ad hominem fallacies focus on irrelevant or personal aspects of the opponent, such as their background, ...
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Gilliam Writers Group
gilliamwritersgroup.com › blog › ad-hominem-straw-man-and-more-identifying-logical-fallacies-with-the-help-of-writing-tutors
Ad Hominem, Straw Man, and More: Identifying Logical Fallacies with the Help of Writing Tutors | Gilliam Writers Group
December 11, 2024 - One common fallacy is the ad hominem fallacy, which occurs when a person attacks the character of their opponent rather than addressing the argument itself. For example, if someone dismisses a critic's viewpoint by saying, "You can't trust his opinion on climate change because he's not a scientist," they are focusing on the person rather than the argument. Another frequent fallacy is the straw man fallacy.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/coolguides › ad hominem, red herring, straw man logical fallacies and more
r/coolguides on Reddit: Ad Hominem, Red Herring, Straw Man Logical Fallacies and more
December 16, 2018 - "ad hominem" is wrong, not only because it's robots, but also because if he was malfunctioning it would be a valid point · "straw man" is wrong, not only because it's robots, but also because it's not an argument but a question.
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Mark Manson
markmanson.net › home › 8 logical fallacies that mess us all up
8 Logical Fallacies That Mess Us All Up
February 8, 2023 - If the Ad Hominem Fallacy is the bread and butter of politicians, then the Straw Man Fallacy is the bread and butter of social media.
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Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
iep.utm.edu › fallacy
Fallacies | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Your reasoning contains this fallacy if you make an irrelevant attack on the person arguing and suggest that this attack undermines the argument itself. “Ad Hominem” means “to the person” as in being “directed at the person.” It is a smear tactic.
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Open Culture
openculture.com › home › a guide to logical fallacies: the “ad hominem,” “strawman” & other fallacies explained in 2-minute videos
A Guide to Logical Fallacies: The "Ad Hominem," "Strawman" & Other Fallacies Explained in 2-Minute Videos | Open Culture
March 12, 2015 - The Straw­man Fal­la­cy · The Ad Hominem Fal­la­cy · The Black and White Fal­la­cy · The Author­i­ty Fal­la­cy · The “No True Scots­man” Fal­la­cy ·
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LinkedIn
linkedin.com › all › soft skills › problem solving
How do you deal with ad hominem attacks and straw man arguments in professional settings?
March 3, 2024 - One way to do this is to politely point out the fallacy and then redirect the conversation back to the actual issue at hand. Straw man arguments, on the other hand, require a more nuanced approach.
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Comic Vine
comicvine.gamespot.com › forums › battles-7 › ad-hominems-vs-strawman-arguments-2036982
Ad hominems vs Strawman Arguments - Battles - Comic Vine
The classic 'so ur saying it works on beyonder lol' strawman I love so much on the vine. ... Any person who employs either of the two in a discussion automatically concedes their argument, without exceptions. The debate does not go farther, rather it ends immediately when someone uses them, because the opposing party wins on the spot. Ad Hominem: I don't like your argument and I have no other way to rebut your argument, therefore I attack your character, magically hoping that it would somehow weaken your argument when it actually does not.
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Thoughtful Learning
k12.thoughtfullearning.com › minilesson › recognizing-logical-fallacies-1
Recognizing Logical Fallacies 1 | Thoughtful Learning K-12
February 2, 2018 - Logical fallacies are forms of ... you'll be able to avoid being lured in by them: Ad hominem attacks focus on the opponent rather than the opposing position....
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Quora
quora.com › What-is-the-difference-between-ad-hominem-straw-man-and-appeal-to-authority
What is the difference between ad hominem, straw man, and appeal to authority? - Quora
Answer (1 of 2): Ad hominem: is an attack on the person who is giving the argument rather than addressing the argument itself. For example: Sally is arguing that hormone therapy is bad for children under 18.
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My Apologetics
myapologetics.wordpress.com › 2009 › 10 › 25 › ad-hominem-and-the-straw-man-futile-argument-tactics
Ad Hominem and the Straw Man: Futile Argument Tactics | My Apologetics
February 1, 2017 - There is no great secret to ad hominem attacks because they require very little in the way of intelligence. It is an appeal to personal traits of the opponent rather than the logic of a position, as such it is perhaps the most common fallacy in any discussion.
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The Puritan Board
puritanboard.com › forums › general forums › general discussions
The Straw Man Ad Hom | The Puritan Board
February 10, 2006 - While there is such a thing as a straw man argument I am afraid that in our overconfidence we fail to examine all perspectives and all sides of a debate before declaring the opponent's argument irrelevant. We get tunnel vision and cannot see why they are saying what they are saying about the topic at hand. The result? A straw man ad hominem attack.
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Rootclaim Blog
blog.rootclaim.com › home › the straw man and other fallacies of relevance
The Straw Man and Other Fallacies of Relevance - Rootclaim Blog
June 22, 2017 - Appeal to authority is similar to ad hominem in that the person making the argument, rather than the argument itself, is the focus. However, instead of being criticized, the person or entity making the argument is held up as a figure of authority. For example: “Dr. Jones said he’s wrong, and Dr. Jones is a very smart doctor.” · Dr. James may indeed be an excellent doctor and a smart man.