How we change what others think, feel, believe and do

False Effect

Disciplines > Argument > Fallacies > False Effect

Description | Discussion | Example | See also

Description

X apparently causes Y. Y is wrong. So X is wrong.

If you want to prove something wrong, find something that it appears to cause, and then prove that the caused thing is wrong. You can also do the reverse to show something to be right.

Example

I pulled on the string and the kite fell to ground. Pulling on the string is therefore ineffective.

Loud music leads to deafness. Turn that music down!

Eating sweets makes you happy. You should eat sweets.

Discussion

This works because attention is distracted from the (incorrect) assumption that X causes Y to the question of whether or not X is right or wrong (which usually cannot be questioned).

When presented with cause and effect, it often seems to make sense simply because of the assertion of causality. This results in people accepting invalid causal arguments.

Classification

Assumptive, Causal, Distraction, Falsehood

Also known as

Non Causa Pro Causa