

The Piketty Phenomenon - rpm4321
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/25/opinion/brooks-the-piketty-phenomenon.html

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notacoward
In informal-logic terms this is known as genetic fallacy[1], a category which
is close to _ad hominem_ and includes almost any form of trying to address an
argument by discrediting the source. The particular sub-fallacy involved here
is known as attribution of motive. Brooks assumes, without evidence, that
Piketty's motivation is pandering to the upper middle class, and all of his
other pseudo-arguments flow from that. I guess Brooks has tired of pandering
to the upper middle class himself, and is setting his sights on pleasing the
elite by answering the Piketty threat. Oh wait, didn't I just try to dismiss
Brooks's argument by attributing ulterior motives to him? Isn't that awful of
me? Yes, it is, _just as it was when he did it to Piketty_. Except that he
really meant it to be taken seriously, and I was just illustrating a point.

[1] [http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/genetic-
fallacy.htm...](http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/genetic-fallacy.html)

