Post Hoc Billy Estes

Post Hoc Explained Event A happened immediately prior to event B. Therefore, A caused B. Post Hoc occurs when a faulty assumption of causality is made, based off of coincidental timing. "Logical Fallacy: Post Hoc." Logical Fallacies: The Fallacy Files. Fallacy Files. Web. n.d. 19 Feb

Post Hoc in Pop Culture The only policy that effectively reduces public shootings is right-to-carry laws. Allowing citizens to carry concealed handguns reduces violent crime. In the 31 states that have passed right-to- carry laws since the mid-1980s, the number of multiple-victim public shootings and other violent crimes has dropped dramatically. Murders fell by 7.65%, rapes by 5.2%, aggravated assaults by 7%, and robberies by 3%. "The Media Campaign Against Gun Ownership", The Phyllis Schlafly Report, Vol. 33, No. 11, June 2000.

Post Hoc in The Crucible “Giles: 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.” Act 1 Page 186 The Post Hoc in this example can be found in Giles’s faulty assumption that his wife’s reading was the source of his inability to recite his prayers. She read, then he could not pray, thus it was falsely assumed that she caused it. A reasonable explanation would hold that Giles was simply and old man, and incapable of remembering his prayers.

Post Hoc in The Crucible “Mrs. Putnam: I knew it! Goody Osburn were midwife to me three times. I begged you, Thomas, did I not? I begged him not to call Osburn because I feared her. My babies always shriveled in her hands.” Act 1 page 189 In this example, Mrs. Putnam asserts that goody Osburn was her midwife three times, then later asserts that all of her children died, and she blames Osburn – linking two not-necessarily-linked events in a causal manner, falsely.

Post Hoc in The Crucible “Cheever: ‘Tis hard proof: I find here a poppet Goody Procter keeps.” Act 2 Page 203 In this case, evidence was found prior linking witchraft to the use of dolls. Cheever then found a poppet in the Proctor household – to him, proving the existence of a witch. This, however, is a post hoc fallacy, as the events were unrelated – Mary Warren had placed the doll in the Proctor house.

Post Hoc in The Crucible “Danforth: Why can they only repeat you?... A little while ago you were afflicted. Now it seems you afflict others; where did you find this power.” Act 3 page This Post Hoc example asserts a faulty link between Mary Warren’s supposed affliction during the trials, and later supposed manipulation of others. However, this can be easily denied by Abigail’s role in inciting the chaos of the trials.

"Logical Fallacy: Post Hoc." Logical Fallacies: The Fallacy Files. Fallacy Files. Web. n.d. 19 Feb "The Media Campaign Against Gun Ownership", The Phyllis Schlafly Report, Vol. 33, No. 11, June 2000.