Fallacy: Ignoring a Common Cause
Also Known as: Questionable Cause
This fallacy has the following general structure:
This fallacy is committed when it is concluded that one thing causes
another simply because they are regularly associated. More formally,
this fallacy is committed when it is concluded that A is the cause of B
simply because A and B are regularly connected. Further, the causal
conclusion is drawn without considering the possibility that a third
factor might be the cause of both A and B.
In many cases, the fallacy is quite evident. For example, if a person
claimed that a person's sneezing was caused by her watery eyes and he
simply ignored the fact that the woman was standing in a hay field, he
would have fallen prey to the fallacy of ignoring a common cause. In
this case, it would be reasonable to conclude that the woman's sneezing
and watering eyes was caused by an allergic reaction of some kind. In
other cases, it is not as evident that the fallacy is being comitted.
For example, a doctor might find a large amount of bacteria in one of
her patients and conclude that the bacteria are the cause of the
patient's illness. However, it might turn out that the bacteria are
actually harmless and that a virus is weakening the person, Thus, the
viruses would be the actual cause of the illness and growth of the
bacteria (the viruses would weaken the ability of the person's body to
resist the growth of the bacteria).
As noted in the discussion of other causal fallacies, causality is a
rather difficult matter. However, it is possible to avoid this fallacy
by taking due care. In the case of Ignoring a Common Cause, the key to
avoiding this fallacy is to be careful to check for other factors that
might be the actual cause of both the suspected cause and the suspected
effect. If a person fails to check for the possibility of a common
cause, then they will commit this fallacy. Thus, it is always a good
idea to always ask "could there be a third factor that is actually
causing both A and B?"
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Description of Ignoring a Common Cause
Examples of Ignoring a Common Cause