Correlation not Causation
The correlation not causation fallacy is committed when one reasons that just because two things are found together (i.e. are correlated) there must be a direct causal connection between them. Often arguments of this kind seem compelling, but it’s important to consider other possible explanations before concluding that one thing must have caused the other.
Example
“Since you started seeing that girl your grades have gone down. She’s obviously been distracting you from your work, so you mustn’t see her anymore.”
Links
- Fallacy Files - Post Hoc
- Logical Fallacies .Info - Post Hoc
- Michael LaBossiere’s Fallacies Introduction - Hasty Generalization
- Philosophy.Lander.edu - False Cause