So many Logical Fallacies...
- Oct 11, 2017
- 1 min read
A perfect example of a logical fallacy exists within an episode of the Big Bang Theory. The specific episode is titled “The Electric Can Opener Fluctuation”. In this episode, Raj, Leonard, Howard, and Sheldon are returning from a trip to the Artic to collect data up at the North Pole. The specific scene features the group entering the apartment upon their arrival, Sheldon is shown talking with his mother on the phone. In the scene, Sheldon says, “No, mother, I could not feel your church group praying for my safety. The fact that I’m home safe is not proof that it worked, that logic is Post Hoc Propter Hoc. No, I’m not sassing you in Eskimo talk”.
In the example provided above, we see an example of a Post Hoc logical fallacy. A Post Hoc logical fallacy occurs when someone states that one thing occurs because of a prior event. In this example, Sheldon’s mother believes that since she prayed, Sheldon was able make it home safely. The two events show little to no correlation except for the fact that they both deal with Sheldon and his making it home safe. Also, given Sheldon’s complete disregard for his mother’s beliefs, his logical response provides humor; this could suggest that Ad Hoc logical fallacies can be humorous depending on the situation in which they are presented. Basically, since the relationship between the two events cannot be proven, we can consider this to be a Post Hoc logical fallacy because Sheldon’s mom believes one thing happened because of another thing that happened.
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