From: Rick McCallister
Message: 59141
Date: 2008-06-09
>Accusing someone of having an idée fixe is not in and
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Brian M. Scott" <BMScott@...>
> To: "Patrick Ryan" <cybalist@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Sunday, June 08, 2008 3:05 PM
> Subject: Re[2]: [tied] Re: Scientist's etymology vs.
> scientific etymology
>
> > At 3:46:43 PM on Sunday, June 8, 2008, Patrick
> Ryan wrote:
> >
> > > From: "Brian M. Scott" <BMScott@...>
> >
> > >> At 6:28:09 AM on Sunday, June 8, 2008,
> tgpedersen wrote:
> >
> > >>> --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Brian M.
> Scott"
> > >>> <BMScott@...> wrote:
> >
> > >> [...]
> >
> > >>>> I think that his idée fixe has taken him at
> least to the
> > >>>> edge of crackpot territory.
> >
> > >>> And that is an ad hominem too.
> >
> > >> <shrug> Obviously you don't know what the term
> means.
> >
> > > No, Brian, it is obvious that you do not.
> >
> > If you intend to use the term, I suggest that you
> repair the
> > gap in your knowledge. A negative judgement of
> someone's
> > work or ideas, even a strongly negative one, is
> not an ad
> > hominem.
> >
> > > Perhaps because you do not know what ad
> hominem's are, you
> > > use them so frequently. You include an insult
> with almost
> > > everything you write.
> >
> > > How sad not to even be aware of how offensive
> you are!
> >
> > Oh, dear. The irony, the irony.
> >
> > Brian
>
> ***
>
> Patrick:
>
> I thought as much. You are actually ignorant of what
> ad hominem means!
>
> When you characterize someone as having an idée
> fixe, that is an aspersion
> against his intelligence and objectivity not against
> his work or the quality
> thereof.
>
> In fact, ad hominem is an attack on material by
> belittling its provider.
>
> ***
>