Circular cause and consequence


     
    Name of fallacy Circular cause and consequence
    Aliases  
    Type Inductive Argument, Informal Argument
    Description Where the consequence of the phenomenon is claimed to be its root cause
    Example For example: Expectation of economic downturn causes people to spend less, which reduces demand, causing economic downturn.
    Form 
    Treatment This fallacy is addressed by examining the root cause:
    1) Asking what came first?
    2) Proposing a mechanism for the proposed cause and effect
    3) Testing the proposed cause and effect

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