gun control/mass shootings
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Original Question
Is there a fallacy in this. “There were no mass shootings when gun control was next to nonexistent. Now that there is gun control mass shooting happen all the time. Therefore gun control causes mass shootings”
Answers
2Good one, Geoff, One of my favorite fallacies:
Post Hoc ergo propter hoc
The Latin phrase “post hoc ergo propter hoc” means, literally, “after this therefore because of this.” The post hoc fallacy is committed when it is assumed that because one thing occurred after another, it must have occurred as a result of it. Mere temporal succession, however, does not entail causal succession.
Post Hoc ergo propter hoc
The Latin phrase “post hoc ergo propter hoc” means, literally, “after this therefore because of this.” The post hoc fallacy is committed when it is assumed that because one thing occurred after another, it must have occurred as a result of it. Mere temporal succession, however, does not entail causal succession.
There could be a false cause (also known as questionable cause, confusing correlation and causation) fallacy there, since the correlation between gun control and mass shootings is asserted as a causation. If the arguer goes on to logically justify or provide evidence for the causal link between gun control and mass shootings, his argument won't be fallacious anymore.
The Questionable Cause Fallacy: https://www.logicallyfallacious.com/tools/lp/Bo/LogicalFallacies/148/Questionable-Cause<>
The Questionable Cause Fallacy: https://www.logicallyfallacious.com/tools/lp/Bo/LogicalFallacies/148/Questionable-Cause<>
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