Agree Quote by John Stuart Mill
“If two or more instances of the phenomenon under investigation have only one circumstance in common, the circumstance in which alone all the instances agree is the cause (or effect) of the given phenomenon.”
About This Quote
Source Book: A System of Logic, 1843
Identifying a single shared factor among multiple occurrences points to its causal role.
In simple terms: A common factor among events signals cause.
Look for shared conditions to infer causality.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- scientific research
- diagnostics
- policy analysis
- troubleshooting
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What other factors could explain the phenomenon?
- How can you test the identified cause?
Correlation does not guarantee causation; other hidden variables may exist.