I’m genuinely surprised by how many people use the term “ad hominem” and don’t understand what it actually means, which is exactly what’s in this highlighted section.
And while I don’t have a cock in this fight, one of Anderson’s recent posts really stands out in my memory:
That is some extreme misinterpretation of terms. Even a 99-cent dictionary bases the definition of violence on the presence of physical force, so it’s a bit concerning that someone so intently focused on direct interpretations would do this, or to interpret pretty much anything short of full agreement as a “personal attack” (as I’m sure this post will be as well).
I mean it’s fine if someone wants to base all their arguments on formal definitions or encyclopedia articles or whatever, but then it actually has to be done by the book.