====== (Argumentum) ad Virum ======

Latin: “Argument against the man”: a variant of "[[index|(argumentum) ad hominem]]" in which it is explicitly pointed out that a //male person// is being targeted, or that a specifically masculine trait is being attacked.

An example that has, unfortunately, been heard all too often lately:

> <s invalid "Argumentum ad Virum">As an old white man, you’d better keep your mouth shut on this topic.</s>

It is hard to imagine a topic in which the speaker's age and/or gender alone would justify excluding them from the discussion.

<div info>**Note:** Although the Latin word „<i :la>hŏmo</i>“ (whose accusative singular is „<i :la>hominem</i>“) can //also// refer to a “male person”, in this context of the phrase „<span "Argument gegen die Person"><i :la>argumentum ad hominem</i></span>“ it is used to mean “human being” or “person”; that is, it explicitly implies no specific gender here.((Note that the English word "man" also has both meanings <span maniculus "go to:">[[ambiguity:etymological_fallacy#man|Etymological fallacy § Man]]</span>.))

Using the gender-specific variants “<i :la>ad virum</i> ” and “<i :la>[[ad_feminam|ad feminam]] </i>” are therefore only appropriate when the gender of the person being attacked is relevant to the argument – for example, because a gender-specific characteristic is explicitly being attacked, as in the example above.
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===== See also =====

  * <i :la>[[ad_hominem:ad_feminam|(Argumentum) ad Feminam]]</i>
  * <i :la>[[ad_hominem:index|(Argumentum) ad Hominem]]</i>