False+Cause

First Name: Gabe Period: 4 School: Wootton HS

Definition #1: the fallacy committed when an argument mistakenly attempts to establish a causal connection. Source: []

Definition #2: assuming that because two things happened, the first one caused the second one. Source: [|http://www.don-lindsay-archive.org/skeptic/arguments.html#cause]

Definition in your own "student friendly" words: fallacy in which an argument incorrectly establishes a cause or identifies a cause where there is not one.

Link to example #1 (text, advertisement, video, speech, etc): []

2-3 sentence explanation of why it is a good example: While the speech not an example of false cause in itself, Dawkins berates the Pope for attributing atheism to Hitler and implying that Hitler was driven by atheist ideals (i.e. lack of religious ideals?). Essentially, //the Pope is blaming atheists// //for the Holocaust//, which Dawkins promptly debunks by presenting evidence of Hitler's religiosity. In doing this, he not only debunks the Pope's argument, but exposes the immorality of Christianity. The false cause here is evident; the Pope is arguing that Hitler was an atheist, which somehow connected to the lack of morals--at least, no ancient book with which to obtain them--needed to commit the Holocaust, among other things. Therefore, those pesky atheists are Jew-hating sociopaths with no moral compass whatsoever. ...What do you mean that makes no sense? "There is no logical pathway from atheism to wickedness."

Link to example #2 (text, advertisement, video, speech, etc): [] (only the first argument) 2-3 sentence explanation of why it is a good example: The argument refuted here is the notion of the "God of the Gaps," which basically refers to the idea that "any hole or gap that remains unexplained by science must be an act of God." The disconnect here is obvious--God here serves as a convenient explanation for the unexplained, but there is no logical path leading to that conclusion. Essentially "we don't understand it, so God did it." The claim has no real reasoning to back it up. Therefore, that conclusion is not valid or logical; the two are unrelated.

First Name: Isamar Period: 4 School: Cesar Chavez

Definition #1: A fallacy involving faulty reasoning about causality.

Source: http://niyamaklogic.wordpress.com/reference-work-on-logic-and-logicians/definitional-dictionary-of-logic/

Definition #2:

False Cause is an informal fallacy which is committed when an argument assumes a causal relationship without sufficient grounds.

Source:

http://atheism.about.com/library/glossary/general/bldef_falsecause.htm

Definition in your own "student friendly" words: False cause fallacy is when one takes an effect and blames it on a cause that does not directly have a connection. For example, because of the recession, the percentage of job loss has increased. This is a false cause because in fact the job loss percentage has increased because many businesses are going abroad thus creating and enhancing the recession.

Link to example #1 (text, advertisement, video, speech, etc):

http://atheism.about.com/library/glossary/general/bldef_falsecause.htm

2-3 sentence explanation of why it is a good example: This is a good example of false cause because they simply concluded that because a strict gun law was passed crime rates decreased. The strict gun law passed may have contributed to the crime rates decreasing but there are various others factors that contribute to crime. Such as the economy, maybe before the law was passed there was a huge need for money. Afterwards the situation could have changed. We have to consider all of the factors to a problem and not just one. Link to example #2 (text, advertisement, video, speech, etc): http://www.letters2president.org/letters/2977-immigrants-are-taking-our-jobs 2-3 sentence explanation of why it is a good example: This is a great example because many would make the argument that the reason why there isn't so many jobs available is because immigrants are taking the jobs. But that is a false cause because first of all, immigrants dont have as much opportunities as an American to jobs. They are only taking the jobs that these Americans do not want. We must also consider the fact that our economy today is going downhill. The economy, businesses going abroad are other factors to why their is lack of jobs available not because immigrants are taking the jobs

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Definition #1: Source:

Definition #2: Source:

Definition in your own "student friendly" words:

Link to example #1 (text, advertisement, video, speech, etc): 2-3 sentence explanation of why it is a good example:

Link to example #2 (text, advertisement, video, speech, etc): 2-3 sentence explanation of why it is a good example: