Post-Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc Fallacy Examples in Media, Real Life, Politics, News & Ads

Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc Fallacy

Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc Fallacy Definition

The post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy is a logical fallacy that occurs when someone assumes that the second event caused the first event because one event follows another. It’s important to note that correlation does not imply causation; just because two events happen together doesn’t mean that one causes the other.

The post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy is the mistaken belief that correlation implies causation. The fallacy of post hoc ergo propter hoc is committed when it is assumed that the first event must have caused the second event because one event follows another.
For example, if it rains every day for a week, and then you get sick on Monday morning, you might think your illness is due to being outside in the rain all week long or getting wet from walking through puddles of water each day.

But this would be an example of post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy because there are many reasons why you could have become ill besides being in the rain for seven days straight.

Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc Fallacy Examples

Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc Fallacy example in Philosophy

Examples of Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc Fallacy in Philosophy:

The post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy is a logical fallacy that occurs when one assumes that because event B followed event A, then event B must have been caused by event A.

This type of reasoning is not valid because it does not consider other factors that may have contributed to the occurrence of both events (such as a third factor).

For example, people often assume that if someone who has just eaten food gets sick, they got sick from eating the food; however, there could be many other reasons why they are getting sick, which cannot be assumed without further evidence.

Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc Fallacy example in Medicine

Examples of Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc Fallacy in Medicine:

A post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy is a logical fallacy that occurs when someone assumes that the first event must have caused the second because one event follows another.  In medicine, this type of reasoning can lead to false conclusions about what causes people’s symptoms or diseases.

For example, patients with lung cancer may be given antibiotics for pneumonia without realizing that they are not treating their illness’s underlying cause.

Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc Real-Life Examples

Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc Fallacy in Real Life:

The post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy is the logical error of assuming that because event B followed event A, then event B must have been a consequence of event A.

For example, if someone has an allergic reaction after eating peanuts and concludes that they are allergic to peanuts, this is a post-hoc fallacy as it does not follow from the evidence given.

Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc Examples in Media

Examples of Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc Fallacy in Media: 

The media often reports that a person’s success is due to their upbringing.

For example, someone may be born into poverty and then are able to escape it by becoming wealthy. This fallacy has been used in the past to justify slavery or colonialism.

Post-Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc Fallacy Examples in Advertising

Post-Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc Fallacy in Advertising: 

The fallacy of post hoc ergo propter hoc is the mistaken belief that if one event happens after another, then it must have been caused by the first event.

This type of reasoning can be seen in advertising when a company claims their product will make you more successful or popular because they show people who are already successful or popular using their product.

In reality, there may be other reasons why those people became successful or popular.

Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc Fallacy in Politics

Examples of Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc Fallacy in Politics:

For example, if a country has high unemployment and then raises taxes on businesses, it may be thought that raising taxes causes unemployment.

However, this assumption does not take into account other factors which could also affect unemployment rates.

Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc Fallacy examples in Movies

Examples of Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc Fallacy in Movies:

The protagonist is given new power. The protagonist uses the power to do something good.

Later, the antagonist gets a similar power and does something bad with it.

Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc Examples in Literature

Examples of Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc Fallacy in Literature:

This fallacy can be found in literature through a passage from Macbeth, where Lady Macbeth states, “I have given suck, and know-how tender ‘tis to love the babe that milks me” (Act 1 Scene 5).

This line implies that she knows how tender it is to love him because she has nursed her child.

Post Hoc Ergo Propter hoc  Examples in News

Examples of Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc Fallacy in News:

The post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy is the idea that because event A occurred before event B, then event A must have caused event B.

This is a logical fallacy because there are other explanations for why events occur in this order.

For example: if someone drinks coffee and then gets a headache, it could be due to the caffeine content of coffee, or it could be due to dehydration from drinking too much coffee.

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