Colerdige - An LSAT Teacher In Disguse?

I recently studied logical fallacies in preparation for the LSAT. One common logical fallacy is the mistake that just because two events occur together or in relation, that therefore one in fact caused the other. Logicians assert that correlation does not imply causation.

In The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere ("The Rime") I believe this faulty logic is used in a number of scenarios with regard to the Albatross (OK fine, not that one). After the Mariner admits to killing the bird with his cross-bow, the other sailors are angry believing that this is the reason they no longer are enjoying the wind they had while the albatross was alive. They attribute this correlation of events to mean that the Albatross in fact was the cause of the wind. After only a short period, though, the fog that had surrounded the ship vanishes and the sailors are elated, attributing the fog's dissipation to be caused by the death of albatross. Once again, the sailors create false relationship.

But why? Although the Albatross is undoubtedly a major symbol throughout the story, the logical fallacies it causes throughout the poem gives the reader insight into human nature. I believe Coleridge is trying to take a swipe at the human predilection to create self-fulfilling and self-serving prophecies, as the sailors do with the Albatross. They want someone or something to blame for their plight. They take independent events and try to establish a cause-and-effect relationship to give them a reason for their (mis)fortunes. Really, The Rime is one big observation of human nature, with the example above being one of many.