Post hoc ergo propter hoc

Here you can discuss all things Latin. Use this board to ask questions about grammar, discuss learning strategies, get help with a difficult passage of Latin, and more.
Post Reply
DouggieMayu
Textkit Neophyte
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Dec 05, 2016 3:09 am

Post hoc ergo propter hoc

Post by DouggieMayu »

I am checking on a working title for a paper I am writing on the similarities between Christianity and Mithraism, with an emphasis on the errors of causality in the historiography. I wanted to replace "hoc" with the proper nouns, however. Is my order correct below so as to say "Christianity is the way it is because of Mirthraism"? I am not sure if I have the proper order...

"post Christianitas ergo propter mithrae"

Thanks!

Timothée
Textkit Enthusiast
Posts: 564
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2015 4:34 pm

Re: Post hoc ergo propter hoc

Post by Timothée »

Post and propter both take accusative (hoc is neutre singular accusative). But are you sure what you suggest makes logically sense? “After Christianity, therefore because of Mithra”?? Maybe rather “after Mithra, therefore because of Mithra”?

When the logic is clear, the question will be what the word Mithraism would be in Latin. It may not even be attested. Can we use Mithra as such, i.e. in fact refer to the god instead of the religion itself as I have done above, or would this be a no-no? (That would be easiest.) If it won’t do, then we may have to try to derive it ourselves. One possibility would be Mithriacitas (from attested Mithriacus < Μιθριακός), though it seems to be quite an infelicitous word to me.

Do you know how to form the pertinent accusative(s) yourself? (They’re not right in your message.)

User avatar
Anthony Appleyard
Textkit Member
Posts: 173
Joined: Mon May 23, 2011 12:43 pm

Re: Post hoc ergo propter hoc

Post by Anthony Appleyard »

"Post hoc ergo propter hoc" means "after therefore because of", and means a common logical fallacy; one old example is a story about a rooster who thought that his crowing made the sun rise.

DouggieMayu
Textkit Neophyte
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Dec 05, 2016 3:09 am

Re: Post hoc ergo propter hoc

Post by DouggieMayu »

Right, so, following that example, where would the sunrise and the crowing land in the original statement?

procrastinator
Textkit Neophyte
Posts: 25
Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2010 2:30 pm

Re: Post hoc ergo propter hoc

Post by procrastinator »

If you wanted to say "the sun rose after the crowing therefore because of the crowing" I think it would be

Sol ortus est post cantum ergo propter cantum.

I assumed crowing = cantus. My Latin isn't perfect so correct if wrong.

Post Reply