Causal Arguments

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Causal Arguments

• EH 1302
• Spring 2007

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Causal Arguments

• Statements that are concerned with cause and
  effect claim
• that a particular event, condition or situation
  is going to cause a specific effect(s)
• that a particular effect(s) was caused by a
  particular event, condition or situation

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Causal Arguments

• Arguments about CAUSE and EFFECT.
• An increase in the minimum wage will cause harm
  to small business.
• Eating genetically enhanced vegetables will not
  cause harmful side effects.
• Violence in children is an effect of watching
  violent cartoons.

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Causal Arguments

• Arguments that state a cause and then examine
  effect(s)
• Cause A leads to

Effect B
Effect C
Effect D
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Causal Arguments

• Arguments state an effect and then trace the
  effect back to its cause(s)

Cause A
Cause B
results from
Effect D
Cause C
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Causal Argument

• Arguments that move through a series of links A
  causes B which leads to C and perhaps D. (causal
  chain)
• Cause A leads to Cause B leads to Cause
  C
• Cause D leads to Effect E

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Causal Arguments

• Are often part of other arguments.
• Are almost always complex.
• Are often definition-based.

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Causal Argument

• Causation is an important strategy because it
  often addresses the cause or effect of existing
  or potential societal problems
• Immigration
• Crime
• Technology
• Racism

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Causal Arguments

• Argumentative essay will frequently
• Identify problem
• Examine its causes
• Call attention to potential consequences or
  effects
• Suggest possibilities for solving it, based on
  what predicted effects are likely to be.

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Causal Arguments

• Based on relationships between one event or
  situation and another.
• Joe decides not to study for his math final.
• Joe receives failing grade on math exam.
• Cause failure to study
• Effect failing grade
• Joe fails the course.
• Cause failing grade
• Effect failing course

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Causation

• Causation involving physical action is easy to
  determine
• Brad throws brick at a window
• Window breaks
• Why did Brad throw the brick?

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Causation

• Why didnt Joe study for his math final?
• Laziness?
• Lack of interest?
• Distractions at home?
• Intimidated by math?

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Causal Arguments

• Causation is difficult to understand because
  human behavior often seems inexplicable and
  unpredictable.
• Example Inner city children
• Usually yield probable rather than absolute
  conclusion.

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Causation

• Immediate Cause
• One that is closest in time to the event or
  situation being analyzed
• Remote Cause
• Those that occurred in the past

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• Joe did not study for the math exam.
• Joe failed the math exam.
• Joes failing grade on the math exam caused him
  to fail the math course.
• Joes failure of the math course caused him to
  drop out of school.
• Because Joe did not have a high school diploma,
  he could not get a job to support himself.
• Joes failure to get a job caused him to become
  unable to meet his expenses.
• Unable to meet his expenses, Joe began
  shoplifting small items from the supermarket.
• Joe then began stealing items from department
  stores.
• Joe eventually met an underworld character named
  Felix, a notorious cat burglar, who stole
  expensive jewelry from hotel rooms.
• Felix made Joe his apprentice.
• Eventually Joe became an internationally known
  jewel thief.

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Causal Arguments

• Precipitating Cause
• Event or situation that triggers a particular
  effect.
• Contributing Cause
• Condition that gives rise to the precipitating
  cause.

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Causal Arguments

• Common fallacies
• Oversimplification
• False cause
• Mistaking correlation for causation

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Proposal Arguments

• Analyze problem often in terms of causation
• Suggest solutions based on predicted consequences
  or effects

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Respond 1

• Are the causes of following events/phenomena
  clear-cut or open to debate?
• Tornadoes
• The Burning Man festival
• The collapse of communism in 1989
• Earthquakes
• The common cold
• The popularity of the Harry Potter books
• The itching caused by a mosquito bite
• The economic slump of 2002-2003
• A skid in your car on a slippery road
• The destruction of the space shuttle Columbia
• The rise in cases of autism

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Respond 2

• Fallacies of argument
• Create an absurd causal position to see where it
  can go to learn how to avoid making such
  mistakes.
• Cause to effect (causal chain)
• A leads to B leads to C leads to D.

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Read

• What Makes a Serial Killer? pg. 226
• File Sharing Guilty as Charged? pg. 233