But much depends on how widely or narrowly argumentum ad hominem is defined. Poisoning the well (also called the smear tactic) is a rhetorical technique and logical fallacy that uses the association of negative emotions to distract a subject from actual evidence in an argument.. Easy to use and portable, study sets in Poisoning The Well are great for studying in the … Analysis of the Example: This is a common type of circumstantial poisoning of the well, which claims that men should either not make a judgment about abortion, or should keep it to themselves if they do. You are told, prior to meeting him, that your friend's boyfriend is a decadent wastrel. Example. Only an idiot would consider Didactus to have any useful opinion. "Before turning the floor over to my opponent, I ask you to remember that those who oppose my plans do not have the best wishes of the university at heart." Poisoning the Well is a kind of Ad Hominem fallacy where the attack on the person making a claim happens in advance. Well, Jane will tell you something else, but then she always lived on the other side of the tracks. The usual method is to point out the unpleasant nature of the person making the opposing argument, in which case it is a … Mike doesn't have a degree, but he does speak nicely, doesn't he. This illustrates the effect that poisoning the well tends to have, which is to forestall opposition in debate. Poisoning the well is an appeal to hate.. Examples of Poisoning the Well "Don't listen to him, he's a scoundrel." Poisoning the Well – FT#23. Posted at 00:00h in Fallacies by Jim Cliff. Here are a couple of examples of questionable marketing tactics that might be poisoning the well for the rest of us: I know a doctor who was a member of an organization that took up a collection for the family of a member who had died recently and unexpectedly. Michael Den Tandt: Donald Trump has poisoned the well for other ‘outsider’ candidates Trump is the ultimate object lesson to political … Share. 17 Apr. Poisoning the well is an ad hominem strategy -- attacking the source of the message rather than the content, with the aim of making the attack stick to the content as well. The logic behind the practice is that if the other party's reputation is damaged, you end up looking better. The poisoning the well examples cited seem initially to fit into this framework as ad hominem arguments, at least for the most part, even if in different ways. Poisoning the Well – FT#23. Negative advertising or “poisoning the well” is the practice of attacking a competitor or opponent to make yourself look more credible. Get ready for your Poisoning The Well tests by reviewing key facts, theories, examples, synonyms and definitions with study sets created by students like you. 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