The Difference Between Causality and Conditionality

Knowing the difference between conditionality and causality can help you determine
which one is present when none of the usual indicator words appear.
Many people confuse causal reasoning with conditional reasoning, but the two
are entirely separate! Here are several key differences:
1. The chronology of the two events can differ.
In cause and effect statements there is an implied temporal relationship:
the cause must happen first and the effect must happen at some point in
time after the cause.
In sufficient and necessary statements there is no implied temporal
relationship: the sufficient condition can happen before, at the same
time, or after the necessary condition.
2. The connection between the events is different.
In cause and effect statements the events are related in a direct way:
“She swerved to avoid hitting the dog and that caused her to hit the
tree.” The cause physically makes the effect happen.
In conditional statements the sufficient and necessary conditions are
often related directly, but they do not have to be: “Before the war can
end, I must eat this ice cream cone.” The sufficient condition does not
make the necessary condition happen, it just indicates that it must occur.
3. The language used to introduce the statements is different.
Because of item 2, the words that introduce each type of relationship are
very different. Causal indicators are active, almost powerful words,
whereas most conditional indicators do not possess those traits.