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A Theory of Causation in the Social and Biological SciencesThe Comparative Variability Theory of Causation

A Theory of Causation in the Social and Biological Sciences: The Comparative Variability Theory... [So, where are we? Let me briefly summarize what I have presented and argued for so far. Part I set the stage for the discussion about causation in the special sciences. Chapter 1 elaborated criteria of adequacy for an explication of causation in the special sciences (the naturalist and the distinction criterion). Chapter 2 introduced the influential interventionist theory of causation. I focused on Woodward’s widely-received interventionist approach according to which X causes Y iff, roughly, there is a possible intervention on X that changes the value of Y. I argued that interventionist theories are prima facie (promising to be) in accord with the criteria of adequacy, although I diagnosed that there are several desiderata that have to be addressed by interventionists (most importantly, interventionists ought to account for the explication of a non-universal law, and for the features of time-asymmetry and causal asymmetry).] http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png

A Theory of Causation in the Social and Biological SciencesThe Comparative Variability Theory of Causation

Reutlinger, Alexander
Springer Journals — Oct 6, 2015
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33 pages

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Publisher
Palgrave Macmillan UK
Copyright
© Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited 2013
ISBN
978-1-349-44799-2
Pages
199 –232
DOI
10.1057/9781137281043_8
Publisher site
See Chapter on Publisher Site

Abstract

[So, where are we? Let me briefly summarize what I have presented and argued for so far. Part I set the stage for the discussion about causation in the special sciences. Chapter 1 elaborated criteria of adequacy for an explication of causation in the special sciences (the naturalist and the distinction criterion). Chapter 2 introduced the influential interventionist theory of causation. I focused on Woodward’s widely-received interventionist approach according to which X causes Y iff, roughly, there is a possible intervention on X that changes the value of Y. I argued that interventionist theories are prima facie (promising to be) in accord with the criteria of adequacy, although I diagnosed that there are several desiderata that have to be addressed by interventionists (most importantly, interventionists ought to account for the explication of a non-universal law, and for the features of time-asymmetry and causal asymmetry).]

Published: Oct 6, 2015

Keywords: Causal Model; Special Science; Causal Statement; Counterfactual Dependence; Token Event

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