Fri, Nov-16-01, 16:44
|
 |
Senior Member
Posts: 251
|
|
Plan: Don't know
Stats: 260.2/254.2/150
BF:
Progress: 5%
Location: Tucson AZ USA
|
|
There's a fallacy on the introduction page anyway.
Quote:
|
Dr. Atkins' original diet book supposedly "showed millions how to lose weight quickly, easily and without going hungry". However during the same 27 years since it's been published obesity in the U.S. has been increasing.
|
The assumption the writer wants you to make is that every person in the U.S. followed the Atkins diet and got fatter. It's a completely irrelevant and unsupported statement. Which fallacy is that? I keep meaning to learn those... I go look it up.
Post hoc
Coincidental Correlation
(post hoc ergo propter hoc)
Definition:
The name in Latin means "after this therefore because of this". This describes the fallacy. An author commits the fallacy when it is assumed that because one thing follows another that the one thing was caused by the other.
Examples:
Immigration to Alberta from Ontario increased. Soon after, the welfare rolls increased. Therefore, the increased immigration caused the increased welfare rolls.
I took EZ-No-Cold, and two days later, my cold disappeared.
|