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Journal: Folia Philosophica

Ad hominem arguments — their kinds and ways of evaluation

Krzsztof A. Wieczorek

Published: 31-12-2006 | Abstract | pp. 189-210

The article is devoted to one of the most frequently-used kind of disputes and debates - the so-called ad hominem arguments. The author presents the history of this kind of arguments and evolution of the meaning of the expression ad hominem - from the primal meaning of the word, i.e. from consensus (argumentum ex concessis) to the meaning of the expression today, understood as the attempt to disconfirm a statement by means of attacking the person declaring it. The author discusses four most frequently-distinguished kinds of ad hominem arguments, i.e. a direct personal attack, the so-called well poisoning, the “occasional” variant, and the argument of the tu quoque type. Next, the general rules of ad hominem argument evaluation are formulated, as well as ways of using it in disputes.

2006-12-31



Journal: Folia Philosophica

Civilization aspects of the reflections on the direction of the change in the history of philosophy

Grażyna Szumera

Published: 31-12-2003 | Abstract | pp. 213-231

The topic of the present article is the historical and philosophical investigation into the source of civilisation and its course of development. The history of social thought is the history of the still unresolved disputes on whether the development of civilisation is intermittent or continuous, deterministic or voluntaristic. There are other similar problems such as: is the development of civilisation heading for a universal, unitary pattern? or is it pluralistic in its nature? is it governed by necessity or by accident? is it consonant with the universal laws of nature? or does it follow only its own laws? does it derive its creative energy from itself? or from some external factor? can it be evaluated as progressive? or is it just a development, a directional change, the evaluation of which is hazardous?
It is impossible to present in the present article all the answers to the questions posed above, especially because, as far as the topics in question are concerned, it is hard to provide any unequivocal answers. Bearing this in mind, the author has been striving to avoid arbitrary judgements, presenting, instead, the arguments of selected thinkers on the problem of the development of civilisation. Because of the tensions and contradictions following in the wake of modern civilisation, these disputes do not die down but rather flare up. The thoughts of the selected philosophers are presented rather sketchily and in a simplified way, but the author feels that even so, a presentation of this kind will let the reader grasp the crucial importance of the problems that these thoughts touch upon, and will show the discussed thinkers as precursors of certain topical ideas.

2003-12-31



Journal: Folia Philosophica

Logic Education in the 21st Century – Problems and Challenges

Krzysztof A. Wieczorek

Published: 30-12-2024 | Abstract | pp. 1-19

Contemporary logic is an extremely broad field, encompassing a variety of topics that are often quite distant from one another. This breadth presents a significant challenge for those involved in teaching logic: due to obvious time constraints, they must select only a small subset of topics from the extensive array available. But which topics should be selected? Scholars continue to debate this issue, with positions divided between advocates of formal logic and proponents of other areas within the discipline. Nonetheless, these differing perspectives can be reconciled to some extent. This article aims to demonstrate how such reconciliation can be achieved by offering practical guidance on designing a logic course that delivers the greatest possible value to its participants.

2024-12-30