“Absolutely unrelated”? Are you sure? The chain smoker is (obviously) a smoker. Discussion of smoking as unhealthy is (obviously) about smoking. In each case, smoking is present. Is it possible that someone’s chain smoking affects their views on whether or not smoking is healthy? I think it’s reasonably likely. Consequently, a side bar discussion as to whether or not the chain smoker is a hypocrite, within the context of discussing the degree to which smoking may or may not be unhealthy, doesn’t seem too far fetched.[/quote]
From wiki:
Ad hominem tu quoque (lit: “You too!”) refers to a claim that the source making the argument has spoken or acted in a way inconsistent with the argument. In particular, if Source A criticizes the actions of Source B, a tu quoque response is that Source A has acted in the same way.
Examples:
* “You say that stealing is wrong, but you do it as well.”
* “He says we shouldn’t enslave people, yet he himself owns slaves”
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But anyway, if you want to argue about how hypocritical I am, what should I do? Present testimony from people who know me and my ethics? Give documented evidence of my past ethical choices? This would basically be a ridiculous discussion.
