Are ad hominem arguments ever justified?

Julia Roberts has been getting a load of stick as a 'hypocrite' for flying to the UK to talk about climate change. An ad hominem attack is the process of attacking a person in order to undermine their arguments. Its particularly prevelent here with the UK press.

The argument goes that she can't really truly care about the issue because she is not practicing what she preaches. I think this line of argument is bollox.

Show me a perfect world and I'll show you a perfect person...

Wanting to change a society does not mean that you choose to live outside it. Indeed, you can't choose to live outside it and that is modern life.

The same argument is applied to left wing celebrities who think we should pay higher taxes. 'if you don't donate yourself then you can't preach at others for doing the same and must be a hypocrite. Interestingly, non rich people who are in favour of higher taxes are called jealous. Maybe if you are a middle incone socialist then you have no other option other than to be both jealous and a hypocrite.

The same illogical reasoning can be applied to all things. Perhaps libertarians should be banned from using public schools and roads? Maybe all pro war people should be forcibly conscripted into the army? Perhaps white people who acknowledge white priveledge exists should quit their middle class jobs just because they identify that society has a problem?


Clearly this is ridiculous. Those who employ such arguments show the intellectial weakness of their own position. Having an opinion on government policy does not mandate individuals to individually take a decision which must be made collectively.

Ad hominem users also frequently reveal their own selfish streak because they just can't get it I to their heads why some people would support a policy position which is against their own purely personal interests. Julia Roberts is dismissed as a hypocrite because she is an affluent person who cares, though the people who are dismissing her are affluent people who don't care so perhaps some degree of guilt projection is involved here.

I think that people should practice what they preach where they can and take reasonable personal choices. You can't be expected to live outside society though. Also, your lifestyle choices should not detract from the validity of your personal arguments