What logical fallacy is this?

Get advice, tips, or help with science or religion debates that you are currently participating in.

Moderator: Alyrium Denryle

Post Reply
Tyshalle
Redshirt
Posts: 25
Joined: 2008-06-16 04:22pm
Location: Raleigh, NC
Contact:

What logical fallacy is this?

Post by Tyshalle »

What's it called when somebody tries to shrug off a point one of your sources made by saying "nobody takes him seriously," or something to that effect?
User avatar
Oskuro
Sith Devotee
Posts: 2698
Joined: 2005-05-25 06:10am
Location: Barcelona, Spain

Re: What logical fallacy is this?

Post by Oskuro »

Probably Ad-Hominem, attacking the integrity of the speaker rather than the arguments, although it could have a bit of appeal to popularity/authority thrown in.
unsigned
User avatar
Darth Wong
Sith Lord
Sith Lord
Posts: 70028
Joined: 2002-07-03 12:25am
Location: Toronto, Canada
Contact:

Re: What logical fallacy is this?

Post by Darth Wong »

Tyshalle wrote:What's it called when somebody tries to shrug off a point one of your sources made by saying "nobody takes him seriously," or something to that effect?
That depends on whether it's a "point" or a factual claim. If it's a factual claim and the source is not considered authoritative, then it is actually reasonable to dismiss it by saying "no one takes him seriously", assuming that's actually true. If it's a logical point, then you should learn it well enough to express it in your own words, and then it doesn't matter if no one takes the original source seriously.
Image
"It's not evil for God to do it. Or for someone to do it at God's command."- Jonathan Boyd on baby-killing

"you guys are fascinated with the use of those "rules of logic" to the extent that you don't really want to discussus anything."- GC

"I do not believe Russian Roulette is a stupid act" - Embracer of Darkness

"Viagra commercials appear to save lives" - tharkûn on US health care.

http://www.stardestroyer.net/Mike/RantMode/Blurbs.html
Tyshalle
Redshirt
Posts: 25
Joined: 2008-06-16 04:22pm
Location: Raleigh, NC
Contact:

Re: What logical fallacy is this?

Post by Tyshalle »

It's in reference to a movie review. I posted a link to a video movie review saying that I largely agree with the points he makes against the movie, and somebody replies, rather than by arguing any of those points, instead by saying that it got a 95% rotten tomatoes score for a reason and that nobody takes the video reviewer seriously anyway.
User avatar
Thanas
Magister
Magister
Posts: 30779
Joined: 2004-06-26 07:49pm

Re: What logical fallacy is this?

Post by Thanas »

That may be an appeal to popularity, but without the exact wording of your exchange it is a bit hard to tell.
Whoever says "education does not matter" can try ignorance
------------
A decision must be made in the life of every nation at the very moment when the grasp of the enemy is at its throat. Then, it seems that the only way to survive is to use the means of the enemy, to rest survival upon what is expedient, to look the other way. Well, the answer to that is 'survival as what'? A country isn't a rock. It's not an extension of one's self. It's what it stands for. It's what it stands for when standing for something is the most difficult! - Chief Judge Haywood
------------
My LPs
Post Reply