Meaning of ad hominem fallacy – UGC NET Question

The ad hominem fallacy occurs when someone attacks an opponent’s character, motives or other personal traits rather than engaging with the argument. Such attacks are irrelevant to the truth of the claim being discussed. This shifts focus away from reasons and evidence. Therefore the fallacy described in the stem is ad hominem.

Option A:
Option A, straw man, misrepresents an opponent’s position and then attacks the distorted version. It is a fallacy of mischaracterisation, not of personal attack. Hence straw man is not the correct answer here.

Option B:
Option B, slippery slope, suggests without adequate support that a relatively small step will inevitably lead to a chain of disastrous events. It concerns causal exaggeration, not attacks on persons. Thus slippery slope does not fit the description.

Option C:
Option C, false cause, wrongly assumes a causal connection between events without proper justification. It deals with causation rather than the personal qualities of a speaker. Therefore false cause is not the fallacy indicated in the question.

Option D:
Option D correctly names ad hominem as the practice of criticising the person instead of the argument. Logical assessment requires focusing on reasons and evidence, not on irrelevant personal attacks. Hence ad hominem is the best choice.