QUESTION TEXT: Mullen has proposed to raise taxes on…
QUESTION TYPE: Flawed Parallel Reasoning
CONCLUSION: We shouldn’t consider Mullen’s proposal to tax the rich.
REASONING: Mullen is rich.
ANALYSIS: This is an ad hominem attack, and it’s worse than usual. First, it doesn’t matter who makes an argument. Attack the argument, not the person making it.
Second: Mullen might actually be in favor of paying more tax. Several US billionaires such as Warren Buffet have called for higher taxes on the rich.
The structure is: don’t listen to this person saying the proposal is good, because this person will be hurt by the proposal.
___________
- Here the person will be helped by the proposal.
- CORRECT. Here Dr. Han will be hurt by his own proposal.
- This is just plain ad hominem. The witness has no personal stake in it.
- Here Timm would benefit from his own proposal.
- Here Dr. Wasow has nothing obvious to gain or lose from his proposal.
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