Description:
This fallacy happens when somebody infers that just one trigger is accountable for an impact with out contemplating that there is perhaps a number of causes. This fallacy has the next type:
Premise 1: Impact E happens.
Premise 2: C is a reason for E.
Conclusion: Due to this fact, C is the single reason for E.
That is an error as a result of the potential of a number of causes should be thought of in causal reasoning. This fallacy typically happens as a result of checking out sophisticated informal conditions is troublesome, and it’s simpler to give attention to one alleged trigger.
In some instances, folks commit this fallacy in (good religion) ignorance by failing to think about that the causal scenario is perhaps extra sophisticated than they assume.
In different instances, this fallacy is used deliberately to get folks to assume that there’s a single trigger for an impact. That is typically achieved for political causes with the one trigger matching the political agenda of the individual utilizing the fallacy. For instance, a politician would possibly declare that value will increase are due totally to company profiteering whereas not mentioning the results of things like provide chain points and elevated demand.
It is very important word that this error can happen when there’s solely a single trigger. As with all fallacies of reasoning, the error will not be a factual one. Even when the conclusion is true, if the individual making the declare fails to think about the likelihood that there are a number of causes, then they’ve dedicated this fallacy. Naturally, some conditions would possibly so clearly be instances of a single trigger that minimal effort is required to remove the potential of a number of causes. Different instances could be extra sophisticated.
An individual can give attention to a single trigger with out committing this fallacy, supplied that they don’t seem to be erroneously concluding that there should be a single trigger. For instance, whereas there are numerous causes of forest fires a selected mitigation plan would possibly focus solely on one trigger for numerous sensible causes.
Protection: Whereas causal reasoning could be troublesome, avoiding this fallacy is straightforward: when engaged in causal reasoning, remember to contemplate {that a} single impact might need a number of causes.
Instance #1
Rick: “It appears like our colleges are in tough form. I noticed that People are lagging approach behind the remainder of the world in areas like math and science.”
Ed: “Yup. It’s these silly trainer unions. They ruined schooling. If we might simply do away with the unions, we’d be on prime of the world once more.”
Instance #2
“The current financial meltdown was an unbelievable monetary catastrophe. Nonetheless, nothing has been achieved to deal with its trigger, particularly permitting mortgage firms to make subprime loans.”
Instance #3
“It’s apparent what the reason for violent crime is. The destruction of the normal household by the woke of us has introduced blood to our streets.”
Instance #4
“It’s apparent what the reason for violent crime is. The greed of the wealthy has introduced blood to our streets.”
