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Cum hoc fallacy

Assuming that because two things vary together, one must cause the other.

Published 04 August 2026Updated 04 August 2026

The cum hoc fallacy treats correlation as sufficient proof of causation. The relationship may instead reflect coincidence, reverse causation, a shared cause, measurement choices, or selection effects.

Sources

Fallacies (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy / 2024 / Website

Canonical philosophical treatment of fallacy types.