Logical Fallacies

LogFall

A practical logical-fallacies reference with clear explanations, usable examples, and teaching tools.

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Category

Causal

Faulty claims about what caused what, or what causal link has actually been shown.

How to spot it

10 fallacies in this category.

10

What evidence actually rules out coincidence, reverse causation, or a third factor?

Examples in this category

Appeal to motiveCircular cause and consequenceCorrelation is not causationGambler's fallacyPost hoc ergo propter hoc

+5 more listed below.

Category vs. family

A category is a diagnostic lens, so a fallacy may appear in more than one category. A family is the broader umbrella that gives the fallacy its single main home.

Appeal to motive

Occurs when a claim is dismissed by speculating about the speaker's motives instead of addressing the claim itself.

EmotionalCausal
Intermediate High school
Appeal to motive companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when a claim is dismissed by speculating about the speaker's motives instead of addressing the claim itself.

Circular cause and consequence

Occurs when a feedback loop is treated as if it fully explains, proves, or justifies a result, even though the loop may be contingent, breakable, or not sufficient for th...

CausalEvidential
Intermediate Intro college
Circular cause and consequence companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when a feedback loop is treated as if it fully explains, proves, or justifies a result, even though the loop may be contingent, breakable, or not sufficient for the claimed conclusion.

Correlation is not causation

Occurs when someone treats a correlation, coincidence, or time pattern as if it already established that one factor caused the other.

Causal
Intermediate High school
Correlation is not causation companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when someone treats a correlation, coincidence, or time pattern as if it already established that one factor caused the other.

Gambler's fallacy

Occurs when someone thinks past outcomes of independent events make a future independent outcome more or less likely than it really is.

MathematicalCausal
Advanced Advanced undergraduate
Gambler's fallacy companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when someone thinks past outcomes of independent events make a future independent outcome more or less likely than it really is.

Post hoc ergo propter hoc

Occurs when someone infers that because one event happened before another, the earlier event caused the later one.

Causal
Intermediate Intro college
Post hoc ergo propter hoc companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when someone infers that because one event happened before another, the earlier event caused the later one.

Regression fallacy

Occurs when movement back toward a normal range after an extreme result is credited to some intervention that may have had little or nothing to do with it.

CausalMathematical
Advanced Intro college
Regression fallacy companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when movement back toward a normal range after an extreme result is credited to some intervention that may have had little or nothing to do with it.

Retrospective determinism

Occurs when, after an outcome happens, people claim it was inevitable or obvious all along even though the uncertainty beforehand was real.

CausalPerspectival
Intermediate Intro college
Retrospective determinism companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when, after an outcome happens, people claim it was inevitable or obvious all along even though the uncertainty beforehand was real.

Single cause fallacy

Occurs when a complex outcome is explained as if one cause alone did the work, while other relevant causes are ignored or illegitimately minimized.

CausalConceptual
Intermediate Intro college
Single cause fallacy companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when a complex outcome is explained as if one cause alone did the work, while other relevant causes are ignored or illegitimately minimized.

Slippery slope

Occurs when someone claims that a relatively small first step will trigger a chain of worsening outcomes without showing why that chain is likely, stable, or hard to stop...

CausalConceptual
Intermediate High school
Slippery slope companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when someone claims that a relatively small first step will trigger a chain of worsening outcomes without showing why that chain is likely, stable, or hard to stop.

Wrong causal direction

Occurs when a real association is noticed but the direction of causation is reversed.

Causal
Intermediate Intro college
Wrong causal direction companion poster in a retro mid-century editorial cartoon style, illustrating occurs when a real association is noticed but the direction of causation is reversed.