Discussion Question Number One: Part Nine

Cause and Effect Website: Reading and Exercises


The usefulness in the Cause and Effect website holds most of its weight in providing precise and detailed examples to better help the reader in understanding the concept of causation, a way of using or a type of inductive reasoning. It states that the most important use for inductive reasoning comes from the act of arguing causation.

The website provides the example of continuous accidents from one event, or difference from a normal circumstance, and how a cause-and-effect conclusion comes from about it. There is a ripple as the bicycle, who does not immediately see the truck parked in a bike lane, a first car who does not immediately see the bicycle swerve off in avoidance of colliding with the truck, and the second car who does not immediately see the first car brake in avoidance of colliding with the bicycle. This example is very good, as it provides an easy image to recreate in a reader's mind, become much easier to follow along, with the help, as well, of the straightforward and easy word usage they provide. The author describes that this instance, and the trial that could possibly come from this trifecta of accidents, doesn't become a matter of causation until it becomes known that the observation and difference of the truck being there caused the accidents to occur, and the fact that there is a difference from what normally is present in traffic and what wasn't that particular day, which helps distinguish what and what couldn't pass by as causation. This entire example really broke down what was needed to be learned about the concept, and really opened with something that can be related by plenty of people with such a common event that happens in everyday life.

The website also allowed for the two important factors to remember when dealing with causation (reverse causation and the importance of proving it, making sure the effect is correct in comparing it with causation) and goes in some depth about what they have to do with causation and what could be the result if it differed in any manner, which again, help the reader receive a better understanding of the concept. It, overall, was a good website to look over, and helped that much better to clarify any question about the concept by reading it from the textbook alone. The exercises at the end were additional helpers, and were a quirky and convenient addition to the webpage to add usefulness as a whole. They were easy to read and answer, and provided useful and aware-inducing information to add to our current knowledge of the particular subject.