Identify the fallacy most directly illustrated by treating the temporal…
2024
Identify the fallacy most directly illustrated by treating the temporal sequence in the following passage as proof of causation: “How do I know that ginseng tea is a cure for the common cold? Last week I had a bad case of the sniffles. I drank a cup of ginseng tea and the next morning my sniffles were gone.”
Answer: B. Questionable cause — ConceptA causal claim requires evidence that the proposed cause produced the observed effect. Mere sequence—one event occurring before another—or correlation…
- A.
Slippery slope
- B.
Questionable cause
- C.
Hasty generalization
- D.
Straw man
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Concept
A causal claim requires evidence that the proposed cause produced the observed effect. Mere sequence—one event occurring before another—or correlation does not by itself establish causation; alternative explanations and controlled comparison must be considered.
Application
The sniffles disappeared after the person drank ginseng tea, but the anecdote supplies no control, repeated observations, or evidence excluding natural recovery and other causes. It therefore moves directly from temporal order to a causal cure claim.
Contrast and cross-check
Slippery slope predicts an unsupported chain of consequences.
Hasty generalization draws a broad rule from an inadequate sample.
Straw man distorts another person’s position.
No escalating chain, broad sample-based rule, or distorted opponent’s position appears in the anecdote; the unsupported step is from temporal sequence to causation.
Result
The fallacy is questionable cause, specifically a post hoc causal inference.