Fallacy of the Day: False Cause

Fallacy of the Day

Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc

Open Ended

What was wrong with the reasoning for why the refrigerator broke?

Post Hoc ergo Propter Hoc/False Cause

Presumes that a real or perceived relationship between things means that one is the cause of the other.

False Cause

• Many people confuse correlation (things happening together or in sequence) for causation (that one thing actually causes the other to happen). Sometimes correlation is coincidental, or it may be attributable to a common cause.

• A is regularly associated with B; therefore, A causes B.

• Post hoc ergo propter hoc (Latin: 'after this, therefore because of this)

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT an example of a False Cause or Post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy?

• After women started working in this county, divorce rates went up. It's obvious that if we value marriage as an institution, we should discourage women from working.

• For every thought in our heads, there is a corresponding chemical activity in the brain. What more evidence do we need that our thoughts are caused by brain processes?

• We can't have him teaching children, he has over 20 parking tickets!

• They had a very successful business. Then they decided to adopt a child, and the business when immediately into the red.

Open Ended

Write your own example of a False Cause or post hoc ergo propter hoc.