General Principle

Hi RachP Yep! I think the general principle is that a responsible psychologist would never make such a conclusion. I don't think that this attack would be considered an attack on his character. An attack on his character would be an argument that uses his poor character as a premise- here the author concludes that he is not responsible on the basis of professional standards. Furthermore, the argument is about his professional standards as a doctor, not saying that he is a bad person.