Fallacies of questionable cause, also known as causal fallacies, non causa pro causa ("non-cause for cause" in Latin) or false cause, are informal fallacies where a cause is incorrectly identified. These include: Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... A fallacy is a bad argument. ...
Correlation implies causation, also known as cum hoc ergo propter hoc (Latin for with this, therefore because of this) and false cause, is a logical fallacy by which two events that occur together are claimed to be cause and effect. ... The fallacy of the single cause, also known as joint effect or causal oversimplification, is a logical fallacy of causation that occurs when it is assumed that there is one, simple cause of an outcome when in reality it may have been caused by a number of only jointly sufficient... Circular cause and consequence is a logical fallacy where the consequence of the phenomenon is claimed to be its root cause. ... Joint effect is a logical fallacy of causation in which two phenomena that have a common cause are thought to be cause and effect themselves. ... Post hoc ergo propter hoc is Latin for after this, therefore because of this. ... The regression (or regressive) fallacy is a logical fallacy where regression towards the mean is seen not as a natural fluctuation but as being brought about by a specific cause. ... The Texas sharpshooter fallacy is a logical fallacy where a cluster of statistically non-significant data is taken from its context, and therefore thought to have a common cause. ... Wrong direction is a logical fallacy of causation where cause and effect are reversed. ...
Therefore A is the cause of B. This fallacy requires that there is not, in fact, a common cause that actually causes both A and B. This fallacy is committed when a person assumes that one event must cause another just because the events occur together.
More formally, this fallacy involves drawing the conclusion that A is the cause of B simply because A and B are in regular conjunction (and there is not a common cause that is actually the cause of A and B).
For example, a problem child might be the cause of the parents being short tempered or the short temper of the parents might be the cause of the child being problematic.
The fallacy of the single cause, also known as joint effect or causal oversimplification, is a logical fallacy of causation that occurs when it is assumed that there is one, simple cause of an outcome when in reality it may have been caused by a number of only jointly sufficient causes.
For instance, after a school shooting, editorialists debate whether it was caused by the shooter's parents, TV violence, stress on students, Hollywood or the accessibility of guns.
In other words, the possible causes are assumed to be "A or B or C" when "A and B and C" or "A and B and not C" (etc.) are not taken into consideration.
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