Tu Quoque Fallacy
Also known as: Whataboutism, Appeal to Hypocrisy, You Too
What is Tu Quoque?
Tu quoque (Latin for 'you too') is a fallacy that deflects criticism by turning it back on the accuser rather than addressing the argument. Instead of responding to the substance of a critique, the person points out that the critic is guilty of the same or similar behavior. While hypocrisy may be worth noting, it does not invalidate the original argument — a claim is either true or false regardless of who makes it.
Example
A parent tells their teenager that smoking is unhealthy and they should quit.
“You smoked for 20 years! You can't tell me it's bad when you did the same thing.”
Whether the parent smoked or not has no bearing on the medical evidence that smoking is harmful. The parent's past behavior does not change the factual accuracy of the health warning. The argument's validity is independent of the arguer's personal history.
How to Spot It
- The response begins with 'but you...' or 'what about when you...' instead of addressing the argument.
- The focus shifts from the claim's truth to the claimant's behavior.
- Past actions are used to discredit a present argument.
- The original critique is never actually refuted, only deflected.
How to Counter It
- Acknowledge the inconsistency if it exists, but redirect to the argument's merits.
- Emphasize that an argument's validity does not depend on the arguer's personal behavior.
- Ask: 'Regardless of what I've done, is the argument itself correct or incorrect?'
- Separate the message from the messenger.
Related Fallacies
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