Fallacy - the Counterfeit of Argument

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(08-31-2019 03:53 PM)Thomas Okken Wrote:  

(08-31-2019 02:27 PM)SlideRule Wrote:  correlation is not causation

Almost invariably, when that line gets quoted, it is abused.

What quotation? My closing statement was Correlation does not imply causation, sans quotes. As to the counter-statement, I offer no argument, pro or con.

“Correlation Does Not Imply Cause” - But What Does That Actually Mean?

"It seems pretty self-explanatory, but it's not always easy to understand exactly that this phrase means until you examine it carefully. First of all, it is important to understand what a correlation is and what a causation is. A correlation is a mutual relationship or a connection between two variables. Causation is the relationship between cause and effect. So, when a cause results in an effect, that's a causation. In other words, correlation between two events or variables simply indicates that a relationship exists, whereas causation is more specific and says that one event actually causes the other.

When we say that correlation does not imply cause, we mean that just because you can see a connection or a mutual relationship between two variables, it doesn't necessarily mean that one causes the other. Of course, it might be the case that one event or variable causes the other, but we can't know that by looking at the correlation alone. More research would be necessary before that conclusion could be reached."
source: Why Correlation does not Imply Causation in Statistics

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