Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc (Noun)
Meaning
The logical fallacy of believing that temporal succession implies a causal relation.
Classification
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents.
Examples
- The politician's claim that the economy improved after she took office is a classic example of post hoc ergo propter hoc, as she had no actual control over the economic indicators.
- The company's marketing team fell victim to post hoc ergo propter hoc when they attributed the increase in sales to their new advertising campaign, despite having no concrete evidence of a causal link.
- The doctor warned his patient that just because the symptoms disappeared after taking the medication, it didn't necessarily mean that the medication was the cause, avoiding the post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy.
- The historian's argument that the rise of social media led to the decline of traditional journalism was criticized for being a post hoc ergo propter hoc, as there were many other factors at play.
- The researcher's conclusion that the new policy was effective because crime rates decreased afterwards was dismissed as a post hoc ergo propter hoc, as there was no clear evidence of a causal relationship between the two events.