Discussion questions week 9: #3

In chapter 15 of the Epstein text we are exploring the relationship between cause and effect in different scenarios within critical thinking. The most important concept found within this chapter is section A9: Two mistakes in evaluating cause and effect. This section is vital to the understanding of cause and effect relationships because it outlines the two common ways people incorrectly evaluate cause and effect relationships: reversing cause and effect, & looking too hard for a cause. Reversing cause and effect is a common mistake made by those who do not understand the nuances of cause and effect relationships, as they only work in one direction – it is important to remember that correlation does not indicate causation. Secondly looking too hard for a cause can be a problem for those unfamiliar with cause and effect relationships as there are many situations where an action is not a cause for a different concurrent event.