Spencer Cox, the new chairman of the National Governors Association, is promoting the idea of “healthy conflict.” The Utah governor has become concerned about the growing problem of toxic arguments in society. As the Washington Post reports, Cox wants people to learn how to “disagree better.”
We should all try to think of ways we can join him in his quest because this is not just a political issue; it is a problem that permeates our society. Almost any disagreement these days escalates into an angry confrontation. We are better than that. Our disagreements are genuine, but the way we disagree can change.
We have to start somewhere. I recommend that we begin by banishing all ad hominem arguments. What are these? Ad hominem is a Latin phrase that means “to the person.” I’m sure you have seen this kind of arguing. It is all around us. What it describes is an argument where instead of actually addressing what someone has said, we insult the person. We call that person’s character into question. It is classified as one of the most basic logical fallacies.
Consider these examples. First, a liberal defends the use of a book in schools. Rather than offer a critique of the book, the person disagreeing with them says, “Only a pedophile would defend a book like that.” This is an ad hominem attack.
You can see where this goes. The liberal is offended and feels that they have to answer the charge of pedophilia. The real issue of the book is left behind as tempers flare. What started as a legitimate disagreement about what is appropriate in the schools has become a back-and-forth personal brawl.