From the Absurd: Latin Phrase of the Day

I would like to start my "Latin Phrase of the Day" blog roll.  Today's phrase is:

ab absurdo
ahb ahb-SUUR-doh
from the absurd

Many of these Latin phrases may be something you've heard before, or maybe you heard in some legal talk.  But I actually haven't really come across this in the course of life before.

The first word, ab, mean "from," and the second word is very similar to our English word, absurdo, or, absurd.

From the book Amo, Amas, Amat and More, by Eugene Ehrlich, we get this definition of the phrase:

One who argues ab absurdo seeks to establish the validity of his own position by pointing out the absurdity of his opponent's position.  While an argument ab absurdo may have the effect of demolishing one's opponent's position in debate, it usually does not of itself prove the validity of one's own position. - p.11 Amo, Amas, Amat and More

The interesting thing to me about this phrase, is that the phrase is not saying that "you" are absurd, rather it suggests that "your argument is coming from the absurd."  That seems to be an important distinction.  In fact, I think that if I was told this, I may reflect back on what my argument is, and consider whether the source is absurd or not.  So I find this to be a statement that may cause reflection, rather than an ad hominem attack.

Til next time, Valete!

Jonny