In Latin, the words "ad hominem" mean "to the man". The most frequent reference is to the "ad hominem fallacy": A FALLACIOUS ARGUMENT AGAINST A POLICY CONDUCTED, NOT BY DISCUSSING POLICY, BUT BY ATTACKING THE MAN ASSOCIATED WITH THE POLICY. It is the refuge of the desperate politician.
However, it has another meaning, usually ignored. IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND POLITICS AND POLICIES, YOU TRY TO JUDGE A CANDIDATE BY "HIS LOOKS". Thus: "He looks more Presidential than the other candidate." "He seems to be a more likeable man than the other one." Etsettery.
Whenever I hear this, I'm reminded of a charming scene in a 1943 film, The Human Comedy, starring Micky Rooney, based on a novel by Cher's Armenian cousin, William Saroyan.
Micky's kid brother (played by Jackie "Butch" Jenkins) and his friend are prowling the stacks of a Library. Neither kid can read, so have no understanding of the lettered titles on the books. But they can see the colors of the books. So they go about, admiring this book and that, according to its jacket.
Those kids judged books by their covers. Too many America can only judge candidates by their covers. Do they confuse an ELECTION with a BEAUTY CONTEST?
In Latin, the words "in loco parentis" mean "in the position of parents" or "replacing parents". And too often that is the role forced upon teachers, police, etc..I became particularly aware of this in my first year of formal teaching. (Elsewhere, I note that I began teaching in the Sixth Grade.)
I began as an Instructor in Mathematics and Physics at Instituto Polytechnico (soon renamed Inter American University of Puerto Rico), San Germán, P. R. My Head, Frank S@#*&(+, had many problems with his students.
For example, as I was about to go up to my first class one day, Frank accosted me, saying he had to "check with the Office". He asked me to tell his students that he'd be there shortly.
Arriving upstairs, I had to herd the students back into Frank's classroom. "Maria said Mr. S@#*&(+ phoned in sick and won't be here." I assured them that Mr. S@#*&(+ was downstairs and would soon be up for class.
As I was going into my own classroom, Frank appeared. I told him what had happened.
Frank said, "Maria's always dismissing my class, if I'm not there on time!"
Maria's father was a successful physician, with a large clinic in another part of the Island.
On "Founder's Day", alumni and parents visited us. I met Maria's father and told him about this incident.
"She does that to the patients in my Clinic. If I don't get there in time, I find the place empty of patients! You have to make her stop doing such things. That's why we send her to your school -- to make her learn to behave!"
And that's the story I heard again and again -- not only in PR but when teaching at other universities, and in public and private schools.
IN LOCO PARENTIS. It can leave little time or energy for teaching!
In fact, THE DIRTY LITTLE SECRET OF AMERICAN EDUCATION is that most parents do not fulfill the function of encouraging their children to study. Speaking from an association of 74 years with Education, I've never encountered anything to the contrary. Oh, I've read about it. Asian-American mothers, with all they have to do, see that their children study. The result is that Asian-American children and young people are the best students in our country.
So all the excuses about "bad schools, bad teachers, bad textbooks, bad school atmosphere, crowded and rickety schools, etc." don't explain why this doesn't interfere with the education of Asian-American students. And don't forget about the Asian programmers who do jobs that natives should be doing!
Yes, I know about parocial schools and Jewish schools and Protestant "Christian" schools. That's IN LOCO PARENTIS! If you can't handle your kids, send them to a "religious" school, where they are "made to behave". But if this provided for a scholastic kick, we'd be seeing the results in college. And we don't!
There's further evidence in math and science competition between American students and students from other industrialized nations. Our students come in eighth or worse. Please understand. We aren't talking about standardized test scores. We're talking about "academic olympics", similar to the TV College Bowl, but far less trivial!
If parochial and other "religious" schools could provide competitors who did better against "foreign" competition, don't you thinkthat would be in the headliens? Doesn't happen!
My point is that, many people say that our political leaders should provide models for our children. Policy be damned. Appearance is the appeal.
And this is the ad hominem-in loco parentis syndrome: citizens who don't know enough or won't try to understand substance, fall back upon shadow -- especially when it allows bypassing their responsibiities!