Fallacy of the single cause

Informal fallacies → Cause

The fallacy of the single cause is when you blame one thing for a big result when lots of things actually played a part. Complex outcomes usually have many causes—circumstances, choices, structures, luck. Picking one cause and ignoring the rest oversimplifies and can be misleading. It's often done to push a narrative or to assign blame, but it doesn't reflect how events actually unfold.

Examples

  • The recession was caused by the banks.

  • She got the job because she knew someone.

  • The team lost because of the referee.

  • Crime rose because of the new policy.

  • He's successful because he works hard.

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