[post hoc, ergo propter hoc: "it happened after, therefore it was caused by"]
this phrase was used in one of my classes today in reference to a type of logical fallacy. it's context was a discussion about how susceptible our nation is to different treatments. my teacher continued on to describe this concept is one that not only acts as an influencer to our medical choices, but also as a basis for general thought processing. his explanation triggered a realization that this way of thinking is such a deceiving, yet appealing, concept for so many people. we would be foolish and self centered to think that this fallacy has just emerged or that we have discovered some hidden reasoning that plagues the human mind. i think that this concept can definitely be used as a deception. but it also could be used in an incredibly powerful way for good. simply put, the application of this phrase is relative to the perception. but as this phrase rolled around in my head i remembered in ezekiel 36 when God said that he would replace isreal's heart of stone with a heart of flesh. the repercussions of such grace can yield nothing short of a life that echoes the glory of God. in this case, post hoc, egor prompter hoc is right on. if any good comes from my life, if any compassion, if any love, it is most certainly caused by the Almighty.
No comments:
Post a Comment