Retrogressive Causation Fallacy

The retrogressive causation fallacy can only be based on one of the three fallacies of Agrippa's trilemma. Whenever a logical fallacy is committed, the fallacy has its roots in Agrippa's trilemma. All human thought (without Divine revelation) is based on one of three unhappy possibilities. These three possibilities are infinite regress, circular reasoning, or axiomatic thinking. This problem is known as Agrippa's trilemma. Some have claimed that only logic and math can be known without Divine revelation; however, that is not true. There is no reason to trust either logic or math without Divine revelation. Science is also limited to the pragmatic because of the weakness on human reasoning, which is known as Agrippa's trilemma.

The Retrogressive Causation Fallacy occurs when it is assumed that doing more of the something (call it X) will negate or reduce the effect that comes from X.

Examples of the Retrogressive Causation Fallacy

Sandy: “Don’t you know that it has been scientifically proven that the human mind cannot be trusted. It is easily fooled. How then can you trust your mind to discern between Divine revelation and your own mind?”

Rocky: “What are you proposing as an alternative?”

Sandy: “You cannot trust in Divine revelation. The human mind can't be trusted, since it can be easily fooled. So, you cannot possibly discern between your own mind and Divine revelation. The only hope is to trust what you can observe and reason.”

Rocky: “So the human mind can’t be trusted. Therefore, I need to trust the human mind more? I don’t think so. Revelation doesn’t depend on my own human mind. By its very nature, Divine revelation depends on God. It’s a stepwise process where God is constantly correcting. My only part is to trust Him and depend on Him. He provides the discernment. I trust that He is able and willing to continue to correct me and lead me in the right ways.”

The problem is that Sandy doesn't understand the true weakness of the human mind. Agrippa's Trilemma makes all secular thinking of no truth value. You may know Agrippa's Trilemma as Münchhausen Trilemma or Albert's Trilemma. A chain of thought is only as strong as the weakest link, the weakest thougth in the chain. Any chain of logic that is going to be sound logic must begin with a thought that is absolute; however, all that is available in the secular worldview is infinite regress, circular reasoning, or axiomatic thinking. There is no way around this fact.

Sandra: "My boyfriend and I decided to live together for a while just to make sure that we are compatible before making a commitment to marriage. If we are going to get married, we need to make sure it will last."

The problem is that couples who live together before getting married are much less likely to stay married--probably because they don't understand what marriage is. Marriage is instituted by God. It has a form and structure that God designed. People who live together before they marry are already distorting this order.