Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc
From FreeThoughtPedia
(Difference between revisions)
Latest revision as of 12:25, 14 May 2017
Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc also known as a causal fallacy or a false cause fallacy is a logical fallacy in which one argues that because one event happened after another event, the event that happened first caused the second event.
This is illustrated thus:
- A happened before B.
- Therefore, A is the cause of B.
The fallacious nature of this argument is illustrated with this absurd example:
- After I coughed, my microwave exploded.
- Therefore, my coughing caused my microwave to explode.
The phrase itself is Latin for "after this, therefore because of this".
This site costs a lot of money in bandwidth and resources. We are glad to bring it to you free, but would you consider helping support our site by making a donation? Any amount would go a long way towards helping us continue to provide this useful service to the community.
Click on the Paypal button below to donate. Your support is most appreciated! |
|---|
