Wrong direction

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Cogito ergo sum
Logic and rhetoric
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Wrong direction is a logical fallacy that occurs when a cause is mistakenly considered an effect.

The fallacy is a fallacy of causation.

Alternate names[edit]

  • reversing causation
  • confusing cause and effect
  • faulty causal direction

Examples[edit]

  • Chanticleer the rooster crows loudly enough to bring the sun up.
  • Cancer causes smoking.
  • The street lights turning on causes the Sun to set.
  • Winds are caused by waving trees.
  • Kids that play a lot of video games are the most violent. Clearly, video games make children more violent.
Not only is this an unrepresentative sample, but it's possible that violent children play video games because they are violent.
  • Evolution causes mutation

See also[edit]

External links[edit]