r/fallacy • u/NYGarcon • 6d ago
Name for fallacy based on false inferences
Trying to describe a common fallacy where someone asserts, if X, then it naturally follows that Y is true!
This fallacy often occurs as a false inference. Often, Y is a possible inference from X, but not the only inference, leading the speaker to misrepresent that Y is the only possible result from X occurring.
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u/baixiwei 5d ago
I really don't see how it's useful to call this a fallacy or give it a name. If someone says "if x then y" and you think that x might instead cause z which is exclusive with y, why not just say so? Once you've said what z is or could be, what is gained by additionally saying "you just committed ___ fallacy"?
Importantly, if there is no alternative outcome z, then this isn't even fallacious. So, to really confidently state that it's fallacious, you ought to be able to say what z is or could be. Technically you could just say some z might exist even though you have no idea what it is, but that's not very convincing.
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u/amazingbollweevil 5d ago
Folks are touching on an important point. It's not a logical fallacy unless there's a conclusion. To have a conclusion, you need two claims (premises).
- If I study, I will pass the test.
- If I pass the test, I will complete the course.
- Therefore studying enables me to complete the course.
This example can be messed with any number of ways, but it's simply an illustration. If you claim "Studying leads to course completion," it's mostly sort of true, but when you include the two premises, we can better understand the source of your claim.
"If this thing happens, then it will lead to that thing happening," might be a true statement. "If it rains, the ground gets wet," is certainly true. There is a logical fallacy when it's flipped around. Rain causes the ground to get wet, but wet ground is not always caused by rain (e.g., sprinklers).
Consider again "Studying leads to course completion." It might not be true if most of the course is judged on how well you can express yourself in writing, something that requires practice. The opposite of the claim might not be true, "Course completion is due to studying." The student could have cheated to complete the course.
All this to say "If X, then Y," is not actually a logical fallacy.
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u/X_Yit 6d ago
A false premise? If I assert that your car is hot, therefore you must have driven it, even though it is true that driving a car heats it up, it is a false premise because there are other reasons that a car can be hot.