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QuestionsAd Hominem and Appeals to Motive

Multiple choice (all correct options required) · #533

At a company press conference, a user asks: "Why does the new system's actual list of charges include three more items than what was publicly announced?" The spokesperson replies: "What is your intention in asking this? Are you sent by our competitors to smear us?" Another user says: "Even if he were indeed sent by competitors, the extra charges still need an explanation." Which of the following evaluations are the most accurate?

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Answer: BC

  • AThe spokesperson's inquiry about the questioner's motive is a legitimate procedure to verify identity and stance, so it is not an evasion of the question.✗ Incorrect. This corresponds to the misconception that checking motives is legitimate verification. Background checks can be done separately, but using the rhetorical question of 'intention' to replace answering the charge issue is substituting a motive accusation for an answer.
  • BEven if it is found that the questioner is indeed employed by a competitor, the three extra charges and their basis still need to be explained directly.✓ Correct. A suspicious motive cannot imply the view is wrong, just as a clean motive cannot imply the problem does not exist; whether the charges are reasonable and properly disclosed can only be determined by facts.
  • CThe spokesperson's response shifts the discussion from 'whether the issue is valid' to 'whether the questioner is a good person,' which is an appeal to motive.✓ Correct. This is a typical example of attacking the questioner's motive and stance without addressing the substantive issue of disclosed charges, which cannot invalidate the problem.
  • DThe fact that the questioner dared to publicly question at the press conference proves that the overcharging problem is real, so the spokesperson should admit fault on the spot.✗ Incorrect. This corresponds to the misconception that a pointed question equals truth. Raising a question only initiates inquiry; whether the extra charges are real or violate rules must be determined by evidence.
Explanation:The spokesperson's counter-question shifts the discussion from 'whether the three extra charges are reasonable' to the questioner's intention, which is a classic appeal to motive. Two points deserve special attention: even if the questioner has a competitive background, the charge issue must be answered; conversely, clarifying the motive does not make the problem automatically disappear or become established. The second user's approach is worth emulating—setting aside the identity dispute and pulling the discussion back to the factual question: what are the extra charges and what is their basis?
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