Post Hoc By: Alex Puleo Brittany Goodman

Definition! A fallacy in which one event is said to be the cause of a later event simply because it occurred earlier. Nordquist, Richard. "Post Hoc." About.com. The New York Times Company. Web. 16 Feb

Universal Example of Post Hoc The Cause of Malaria "Malaria was for centuries a baffling plague. It was observed that persons who went out at night often developed the malady. So, on the best post hoc reasoning, night air was assumed to be the cause of malaria, and elaborate precautions were taken to shut it out of sleeping quarters. Some scientists, however, were skeptical of this theory. A long series of experiments eventually proved that malaria was caused by the bite of the anopheles mosquito. Night air entered the picture only because mosquitoes preferred to attack in the dark." (Stuart Chase, Guides to Straight Thinking. Harper, 1956 The Cause of Malaria "Malaria was for centuries a baffling plague. It was observed that persons who went out at night often developed the malady. So, on the best post hoc reasoning, night air was assumed to be the cause of malaria, and elaborate precautions were taken to shut it out of sleeping quarters. Some scientists, however, were skeptical of this theory. A long series of experiments eventually proved that malaria was caused by the bite of the anopheles mosquito. Night air entered the picture only because mosquitoes preferred to attack in the dark." (Stuart Chase, Guides to Straight Thinking. Harper, 1956 Nordquist, Richard. "Post Hoc." About.com. The New York Times Company. Web. 16 Feb

1 st Example “It discomfits me! Last night-mark this-I tried and tried and could not say my prayers. And then she closed her book and walks out of the house, and suddenly-mark this-I could pray again!” -Giles, Pg. 186 Giles is saying that he couldn’t pray because Martha was reading a book. Obviously, that was not the case and it was not correlated to him not praying.

2 nd Example “She sends her spirit on me in church; she makes me laugh at prayer.” -Abigail, Pg. 187 Abigail laughs in prayer. Tituba sends her spirit out. These independent events are not correlated in any way. Abigail only laughs because of her immaturity.

3 rd Example “’Tis hard proof! I find here a poppet Goody Proctor keeps…I never warranted to see such proof of Hell.” -Cheever, Pg. 203 Just because Elizabeth had a poppet does not mean that she is a witch.