K. Roland. Statistics show that once people start using a sunscreen, they almost never go back to sunbathing without it. So obviously use of sunscreen makes people dependent on sunscreen. Since it is bad for people to be dependent, we should abolish sunscreen now.
Vilma. Doesn't it
occur to you that people continue to need sunscreen because strong sunlight continues to contain dangerous ultraviolet radiation?
Roland bases his argument on a real correlation. Initial use of sunscreen is strongly correlated with continued use of sunscreen. But, as Vilma points out, Mark commits the fallacy of ignoring a common cause. People start to use sunscreen, and continue to use sunscreen, because of an external factor that makes sunscreen necessary. Roland's argument has the form.
People who start doing X usually continue to do X.
Doing X makes people dependent on doing X.
Is
it true that people do things without reason?
Is it true that the reasons that get people to start doing things magically disappear once they have started?
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