The fallacy in which an arguer attempts to discredit an argument by making its author appear as a hypocrite is:
A) Ad hominem circumstantial.
B) Ad hominem abusive.
C) Red herring.
D) Tu quoque (you, too).
E) Straw man.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The fallacy in which an arguer attempts to discredit an argument by making its author appear as a hypocrite is commonly known as the tu quoque fallacy or the "you, too" fallacy. It is a type of ad hominem argument where the focus is on the person making the argument rather than the argument itself. In this case, the arguer is trying to suggest that because the author of the argument is not living up to their own standards or has engaged in behavior that is inconsistent with their argument, that their argument must be false or invalid. However, this is not logically sound as the truth or falsehood of an argument is not dependent on the character of the person making it.

The Fallacy in Which an Arguer Attempts to Discredit an Argument