Types of Causal Arguments
In the post for your Causal Argument task I will be happy to provide (if you request for them) specific recommendations you might find helpful in crafting Causal Arguments for your research topics. While you put your arguments together, decide what sort of framework suits your argument best:
Single Cause with a Single Effect (X causes Y)
“Facebook Can Cost Us Our Jobs”
The premise is that something supposedly personal, about which our employers should have nothing to say, is nevertheless available to our employers, and to prospective employers, if we make it so. What needs to be proved is that information about our non-work lives, or information we post to Facebook about our work lives, can keep us from getting a job, from advancing in a job, or from keeping a job.
- You may say that sounds illegal or unethical, but your objection is irrelevant to the causal argument.
- You could examine how different professions handle social media differently (for example kindergarten teachers might be fired for indiscretions that wouldn’t cost an insurance agent her job), because your topic is still what costs the teacher and the agent their jobs.
- You could argue that free speech should be protected if it’s true, and nobody should be fired for saying his boss cheats on his wife, but your objection is irrelevant unless there really are certain types of speech for which we can’t be fired and types for which we can (X causes Z, but Y does not cause Z).
- You could certainly make a good argument that employers have different policies regarding social media activities of their employees (X causes Y at Company 1, while X causes Z at Company 2).
Single Cause with Several Effects (X causes Y and Z)
“We Are the Casualties of the War on Drugs”
The premise is that the War on Drugs has been counterproductive, subjecting the nation to increased drug use and drug-related death. What needs to be proved is that government interference in drug production and distribution creates crime, interrupts quality control, causes disease, and kills users, traffickers, and innocent bystanders of the illicit drug trade.
- You could argue that the prohibition of certain desirable substances leads inevitably to a frenzied underground and by definition criminal enterprise to meet the demand.
- You could argue that criminals aren’t always scrupulous about the quality of the contraband they deliver and that their product often harms or kills.
- You could point out the countless people languishing in jails for owning small amounts of something that used to be legal.
- You might want to mention that drug use, even sanctioned use of safe prescription drugs, can be very detrimental in and of itself, but your comments would be completely irrelevant to the causal argument.
- You might also want to say that drug dealers get what’s coming to them when they deal in illicit materials and it’s wrong to blame cops for killing them, but again, that’s irrelevant to the question of whether the War on Drugs results in death.
Several Causes for a Single Effect (Both X and Y cause Z)
“There’s No One Explanation for Gangs”
The premise is usually employed to refute the “common knowledge” that a single cause can be blamed for an effect. If you’ve chosen a topic about which everybody “knows” the cause and effect, your causal essay will dispute the notion that there is in fact a single cause.
- You could produce evidence that gangs are more prevalent in public housing projects than in suburban neighborhoods, but with special care. You still won’t have identified the cause, only the location of the cause.
- You could produce evidence that a large majority of the kids in gangs come from families without a present, positive, male role model, but with great care in how you describe the situation, to avoid using misleading shortcuts like “kids with no dads.”
- You could describe gangs as often engaged in petty criminal activity or as pointlessly obsessed with territorial disputes, but it’s completely irrelevant to your causal argument to describe what happens after a kid is in the gang when you intend to prove why he joined it in the first place.
A Causal Chain (X causes Y, which causes Z)
“Failure to Prosecute Rape Causes Rape”
The premise is that rape occurs because it’s tolerated and that every resulting rape reinforces the sense that it will be tolerated. Rapes of female students on college campuses are routinely reported to campus authorities, not local police, and are kept from local law enforcement to protect the reputation of the school at the expense of the rights of the victim. What needs to be proved is that the rapes are in fact kept secret, that the assailants escape justice, and that there is local awareness that sexual assaults are not prosecuted or punished.
- You might want to investigate how it came to be that colleges got jurisdiction for sexual assaults on campus, but it’s probably irrelevant, unless you can demonstrate that they did so deliberately in order to keep assaults secret.
- You might want to explain what you think are contributing causes, such as the loss of bonuses or jobs for administrators on whose watch the public learned of campus rapes.
- You would need to argue that somehow, even though the outside world never hears of these rapes, students on campus learn that assault victims are not believed or supported and that assailants are not punished. This is essential to the chain.
- You could make a suggestion that if victims of rape refused to be “handled” by honor boards and campus judiciaries and took their cases to the local prosecutors instead they could break the chain. Arguing how to break the chain is a confirmation of why the chain continues.
Causation Fallacy (X does not cause Y)
“Violent Games Are Not the Missing Link”
The premise of this causation fallacy argument is nobody has yet proved a causal link between a steady diet of violent video games and actual physical violence in the lives of the gamers.
- You might be tempted to demonstrate that gamers are actually sweethearts who join the Boy Scouts and help old ladies across the street without knocking them down, but you don’t have to. You merely want to prove that they’re no more violent than players of other games.
- In fact, you don’t need to prove anything positive of your own to produce a strong causation fallacy argument; you only need to discredit the logic, the methods, or the premises of your opponents who think they have proved causation.
- For example, if an exhaustive study finds a strong link between kids who play violent video games and kids who kick their classmates on the playground, you argue this is mere correlation. It’s equally likely that the kids were violent first and attracted to the games as a result of their taste for aggression.
- You could also question the methodology of the supposed proof. If a questionnaire measures hostility, the answer: “I am suspicious of overly friendly strangers” no more proves hostility than it indicates a healthy wariness of the unknown.
In-class Exercise
Consider what you know about your own Topic and Thesis.
As a Reply to this post, make 5 brief Causal Arguments derived from your own research, as I have done above.
- Single Cause with a Single Effect (X causes Y)
- Single Cause with Several Effects (X causes Y and Z)
- Several Causes for a Single Effect (Both X and Y cause Z)
- A Causal Chain (X causes Y, which causes Z)
- Causation Fallacy (X does not cause Y)
Dev
Joe Gramigna
adamreim
alexmoran17
alivewit55
americangods01
anonymous123
Anonymous
azntaco
belldere
bigcounrty609
bigfoot9
bj112295
blueee04
breadpatrol99
brxttyb
calamariii
cfalover
charlieclover
cherries267
chickendinner
chickennugget246
chickennugget444
clevelandbrown03
cocochanel715
comatosefox
crossanlogan
cswilliams15
dancingueen
disneylover2002
doglover846
dontquoteme187
douglasadams525
dt2018
faded26
fatjoe000
friendoftacos
frogs02
fromcasablanca
fulcrum66
g00dsoup
giants19
gingerbreadman27
girlno3
gobirds115
goodmusician440
gracchusbabeuf
hiralp365
ifurreadingthisits2l8
ilovedunkinoverstarbucks
ilovenas
imaspookyghost
inspireangels
JalenHurts4Mvp
jasrielle2
jcirrs
jonnyb25
eagles21
kilotoon
kingofcamp
krackintheneck
Philip Ebenezer
Lily4Pres
littlecow24
ljkvng34
lokiofasgard24
luckyleprechaun1
marinebio18
mellowtacos
miliwawa
minutemen14
mossmacabre
music0392
mymomshouldhavenamedmegrace
ndb1996
neferpitou626
nugget114
oatmealvibes
ohearnj8
palal24
peachesxo
philsfan1133
pinkheart84
pinkmonkey32
pitandthependulum22
queenrandom04
RowanAnnouncer
Rowan27
rowanluver29
rowanstudent6
saltysurfer322
saycheese03
Senpai Pio
sixfortyfive645
sortableelms
spaghettitacosforthesoul
strawberryfields4
suedejackson
sunflower0311
sunshinegirl457
tarheel1999
teddysdoggydaddy
thatwonguyy
themildewmuncher7
Public Display Name
thirdlady226
tlap23
tmjj4345
toastedflatbread22
tpaz1
tristanb50
twofoursixohtwo
tyblicky2001
venom2929
vicarij0
wakeup5am
Water
wildcuttlefish
wizzard201
xchuki
Lunaduna
zeek
ziggy026
zinny11
zipemup1
zoeyzoey0210
zzbrd2822
Counterintuitive Spring 2023 
1. Puppets cause humans to feel sympathy and learn important lessons.
2. Puppets communicate to audiences and challenge the human brain to consider real-world topics.
3. The inanimate world that puppets exist in combined with the puppet’s communicative abilities challenge audiences to consider real-world situations.
4. Puppets view the real world through a unique lens which allows them to communicate to real-world audiences about relatable topics.
5. Puppets do not cause a disconnect between the inanimate and real worlds in a theatrical setting, in fact, they strengthen the bond and are thus able to communicate to human audiences.
LikeLike
1. Driving with a seatbelt on causes people to have a false sense of security
2. Driving with a seatbelt on causes people to have a false sense of security and less aware of their surroundings
3. Driving with a seatbelt on and having a false sense of security over oneself cause more care accidents.
4. Driving with a seatbelt on causes people to have a false sense of security, which results in them ending up in more accidents than if not.
5. Seatbelts do not help people drive better.
LikeLike
Single Cause with a Single Effect (X causes Y)- high pollen rates creates more people to have allergy symptoms.
Single Cause with Several Effects (X causes Y and Z)- Global warming is causing our glaciers to melt as well as forcing animals out of their habitats
Several Causes for a Single Effect (Both X and Y cause Z)- the promotion that vapes are a better alternative then cigarettes along with their fruity flavors leads people to believe that vapes are not bad for you.
A Causal Chain (X causes Y, which causes Z)- when prices go up and people can’t afford things it causes minimum wage to go up which in turn causes companies to higher less so they don’t have to pay as many people.
Causation Fallacy (X does not cause Y)- as obesity has increased so has manufacturing of mccdonalds
LikeLike
1. having more money makes people happy
2. Having more money may lead to people being happier but also may make them take small things for granted
3. having a lot of money that was inherited and coming into money suddenly may cause people to take small things for granted
4. Having a lot of money may lead people to act differently which will lead them to act colder or take more things for granted.
5. having a lot of money does not mean you have a happy life
LikeLike
1. Online booksellers have destroyed many independent booksellers.
2. Online bookstores negatively impact small businesses and small town economies.
3. The vastness of online booksellers and variety they offer cause decline in independent bookstore businesses.
4. Society’s dependence on quick satisfaction and convenience bolsters online booksellers, which in turn takes business from independent bookstores.
5. Online booksellers do not always cause the decline in small bookstore businesses, as their location and service can also impact their success.
LikeLike
1. Not listening to music cause your overall health and well being to decline.
2. Not listening to music can cause your anxiety and stress to get worse and it can cause your blood pressure to go up.
3. People’s dissatisfaction with music/not enjoying music combined with them not listening to music can cause their overall health and well being to decline
4.When not listening to music, the stress hormones do not get relaxed, which can cause your overall health and well being to decline.
5. Not listening to music does not cause any benefits to your health and well being. In fact, it has been proven that abstaining from listening to music can cause your overall health and well being to decline.
LikeLike
1. Machiavelli’s exile from Florence gave him more time to write.
2. Machiavelli’s political career informed his analyses of the world.
3. Posthumously, Machiavelli’s work was viewed as critical of the church and thought to promote sin. Therefore, it was banned by the papal states.
4. Machiavelli observed European high politics personally. Based on this, he created an unobfuscated analysis of power. This offended the political class of the Papal States, who did like to see religion and politics uncoupled.
5. Machiavelli’s writing does not create “Machiavellian” political actors.
I had a rather hard time with this — I think I am probably approaching this from the wrong perspective.
LikeLike
1. Single Cause with a Single Effect (X causes Y)
Slavery causes inhumanness
2.Single Cause with Several Effects (X causes Y and Z)
Inhumanness causes brutality and the exploitation of Black bodies.
3.Several Causes for a Single Effect (Both X and Y cause Z)
Brutality and the exploitation of black bodies caused the creation of slave patrollers who end up the police
4. A Causal Chain (X causes Y, which causes Z)
Brutality causes the exploitation of black bodies and that causes the creation of the police
5. Causation Fallacy (X does not cause Y)
The exploitation of black bodies does not require brutality.
LikeLike
1. Childhood trauma/abuse causes children to become serial killers.
2. Children who grow up with abuse in the home make them believe that it is okay to inflict pain/physical harm on others.
3. Having severe mental illness and troubled homes can cause children to use violence in any way they can in different types of situations.
4. Children who grow up in abusive homes (sometimes causing mental illness), can lead these children down a path to be serial killers.
5. Mental illness alone does not lead to serial killers. (the killer almost always comes from a troubled home)
LikeLike
1.Working out can be done in many different ways.
2.Your workout may result in possible factors that with affect your ability to continue a personal fitness drive.
3. Negative workout adherence and possible injuries may occur if a person picks the wrong intensity to begin with.
4.The intensity at which you work out in will affect your body’s ability to recover after and adherence to exercise.
5. Choosing the correct workout intensity relating to your own fitness level will allow your body to recover better and make you adhere to personal fitness goals.
LikeLike
1. Artists’ own emotions cause human artwork to express genuine feelings.
2. The removal of humans from art creation causes the loss of emotion behind works of art.
3. Societies’ passion for progress and innovations in AI technology have both caused a rise in our effort for artificial intelligence to replace human tasks.
4. Recognition of AI art generators as true artists causes the loss of emotionally created art, which causes the loss of one of the most integral methods of expression in human culture.
5. AI art generators can never cause new artistic ideas to be introduced to the world without compilation of previously created works.
LikeLike
1. Using your phone at night can cause insomnia.
2. Putting away your phone at night will allow you to get a good night’s sleep.
3. The promotion of social media and other platforms allow people to believe they should be on these sites all the time which causes people to lose sleep.
4. When people use their phones at night, they may think they will still get enough sleep, but this actually causes insomnia and bad habits.
5. Choosing to turn off your phone before bed will show a positive outcome in your sleeping schedule.
LikeLike
– lack of information causes misidentification in facial recognition softwares
– lack of information causes misidentification using facial recognition softwares and promotes racial bias
– The lack of information being fed into facial recognition softwares not only promotes racial bias and starts the issue of misidentifying it also causes third-party sex/genders to have their equality challenged
– the lack of information causes misidentification using facial recognition softwares causing racial bias to be promoted and causing gender inequality
– facial recognition betters in tracking down criminals
LikeLike
1. Tiktok causes suicidal symptoms
2. Tiktok causes young kids to be more likely to bring on an eating disorder, depression, or even suicide.
3. Excessive use of phones at night while scrolling on tiktok causes teenagers to have insomnia and other underlying disorders
4. Tiktok causes teenagers to slowly become addicted to their phone, which leads them to be more likely to experience depression like symptoms
5. Teenagers are all on tiktok, so it is hard to prove that the app itself causes the symptoms, but cyberbullying is most prevelant on tiktok.
LikeLike
1. Blowing out your hair makes your hair less frizzy.
2. When you blow out your hair, it will make your hair less frizzy and make it look pretty.
3. When you hair is blown out and less frizzy will make your hair look pretty.
4. Blowing out your hair makes your hair less frizzy and when your hair is less frizzy and maintained your hair will look pretty.
5. If you don’t use the right nozzle attachment of your blow dryer, it will actually make your hair frizzier.
LikeLike
1. Lack of physical activity causes school age children to become obese.
2. Obesity in children causes them to have a higher risk of heart disease and diabetes as they age.
3. Both lack of opportunity as well as lack of physical activity causes obesity in children.
4. A lack in physical activity in school age children causes obesity which can cause them to have a higher risk of heart disease as they age.
5. An increase in technology is not the cause of obesity in children.
LikeLike
speeding causes you to put yourself at risk for an accident
speeding causes you to put yourself and others at risk for an accident
speeding and reckless driving causes you to put yourself at risk for an accident
speeding causes you to put yourself at risk for an accident which may be lead to injuries or death
cars do not cause speeding
LikeLike
Single Cause with a Single Effect (X causes Y)
Single Cause with Several Effects (X causes Y and Z)
Several Causes for a Single Effect (Both X and Y cause Z)
A Causal Chain (X causes Y, which causes Z)
Causation Fallacy (X does not cause Y)
1. Taking away theater programs within schools will lead to the dissatisfaction of the full child.
2. Taking away theater programs within schools will potentially cause a decline in mental health and social skills among kids as well as dissatisfaction of the full child.
3. School administrations refusing to fund for their theater programs and taking away drama courses will lead to the taking away of theater programs, performances, etc. in schools.
4. Taking away theater programs within schools will lead to the dissatisfaction of the full child, which causes mental health issues and the lack of creative outlets.
5. Taking away theater programs, however, does not cause financial problems{?}.
LikeLike
Single Cause with a single effect (X causes Y): Street artists are more likely to be put in jail because of the negative idea of graffiti.
Single Cause with multiple effects (X causes Y and Z): Street artists are more likely to be put in jail because of the negative idea of graffiti and misunderstanding if they are being paid.
Several Causes with one effect (X and Y caused Z): Graffiti and its negative affiliation with gangs cause street art to be looked down upon.
Causal Chain cause and effect (X causes Y which causes Z): Street artists are given areas to express creativity causing the safe expression of art which causes graffiti artists to tag over the art.
Causation Fallacy (X does not cause Y): Street artists do not cause negative perceptions of graffiti
LikeLike
1. Not wearing a seatbelt forces people to drive more cautiously.
2. Not wearing a seatbelt forces people to drive more cautiously and reduces the risk of car accidents.
3. Not wearing a seatbelt and forcing people to drive more cautiously, will reduce the risk of car accidents.
4. Not wearing a seatbelt, causes people to drive more cautiously, which will reduce the risk of car accidents.
5. Not wearing a seatbelt does not force people to drive more cautiously.
LikeLike
1. Doing crossword puzzles frequently can improve binging eating habits.
2. Frequently doing crossword puzzles can improve binging eating habits and enhance a person’s metacognition.
3. By having individuals with eating disorders do crossword puzzles and other mental exercises, it can improve their metacognition with a healthier approach to their destructive eating patterns.
4. When individuals do crossword puzzles frequently it can improve a person’s metacognition to develop better cognitive mechanisms causing individuals to have a more effective approach to their destructive eating habits.
5. Crossword puzzles alone can not improve a person’s destructive eating habits but therapy or some sort of treatment along with the use of crossword puzzles can help an individual find an approach that works for them.
LikeLike
1. Single Cause with a Single Effect (X causes Y)
The implementation of cars into cities have made our walkways dangerous.
2. Single Cause with Several Effects (X causes Y and Z)
Covering the country in asphalt roads has led to environmental degradation across the board.
3. Several Causes for a Single Effect (Both X and Y because Z)
The auto industry’s consistent efforts to thwart public transit lead to the modern stagnation of public transit.
4. A Causal Chain (X causes Y, which causes Z)
Heavier cars lead to increased road erosion, causing asphalt runoff seeping into our waterways.
5. Causation Fallacy (X does not cause Y)
Our modern car-centric infrastructure is not a result of mass public approval for cars.
LikeLike
1. Playing violent video games causes desensitization to violence in video games.
2. Kids playing violent video games causes desensitization to violence in video games and gives violent kids an outlet for their violent tendencies.
3. Naturally violent kids, mental health problems, and unstable social lives can cause kids to play violent video games.
4. Not letting violent kids play violent video games causes them to not have an outlet for their violent tendencies which causes them to lash out violently in real life.
5. Violent video games do not cause violent kids.
LikeLike
1. TikTok causes a more diverse taste in music to general audiences.
2. TikTok causes smaller artists to gain a platform and audience, as well as reviving old music to a popular status again.
3. Finding music on TikTok causes people to open up to a wide variety of genres and eras of music,
4. TikTok causes people to gain a varied taste in music, which then causes them to give artists from other genres a chance.
5. TikTok does not cause a degradation of quality in music to the general public.
LikeLike