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Causal Inference and American Political Development: New Frontiers (Studies in Public Choice #17)
by Jeffery A. JenkinsThis volume discusses the application of causal inference techniques in the study of American political development (APD). Within political science, a movement focused on increasing the credibility of causal inferences (CI) has gained considerable traction in recent years. While CI has been incorporated extensively into most disciplinary subfields, it has not been applied often in the study of APD. This edited volume considers ways in which scholars of CI and APD can engage in mutually beneficial ways to produce better overall research.
Causal Inference in Econometrics (Studies in Computational Intelligence #622)
by Van-Nam Huynh Vladik Kreinovich Songsak SriboonchittaThis bookis devoted to the analysis of causal inference which is one of the most difficult tasks in dataanalysis: when two phenomena are observed to be related, it is often difficultto decide whether one of them causally influences the other one, or whetherthese two phenomena have a common cause. This analysis is the main focus ofthis volume. To get agood understanding of the causal inference, it is important to have models ofeconomic phenomena which are as accurate as possible. Because of this need,this volume also contains papers that use non-traditional economic models, suchas fuzzy models and models obtained by using neural networks and data miningtechniques. It also contains papers that apply different econometric models toanalyze real-life economic dependencies.
Causal Inferences in Nonexperimental Research
by Hubert M. BlalockTaking an exploratory rather than a dogmatic approach to the problem, this book pulls together materials bearing on casual inference that are widely scattered in the philosophical, statistical, and social science literature. It is written in nonmathematical terms, and it is imaginative and sophisticated from both a theoretical and a statistical point of view.Originally published in 1964.A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.
Causal Nets, Interventionism, and Mechanisms: Philosophical Foundations and Applications (Synthese Library #381)
by Alexander GebharterThis monograph looks at causal nets from a philosophical point of view. The author shows that one can build a general philosophical theory of causation on the basis of the causal nets framework that can be fruitfully used to shed new light on philosophical issues. Coverage includes both a theoretical as well as application-oriented approach to the subject. The author first counters David Hume's challenge about whether causation is something ontologically real. The idea behind this is that good metaphysical concepts should behave analogously to good theoretical concepts in scientific theories. In the process, the author offers support for the theory of causal nets as indeed being a correct theory of causation. Next, the book offers an application-oriented approach to the subject. The author shows that causal nets can investigate philosophical issues related to causation. He does this by means of two exemplary applications. The first consists of an evaluation of Jim Woodward's interventionist theory of causation. The second offers a contribution to the new mechanist debate. Introductory chapters outline all the formal basics required. This helps make the book useful for those who are not familiar with causal nets, but interested in causation or in tools for the investigation of philosophical issues related to causation.
Causal Overdetermination and Contextualism (SpringerBriefs in Philosophy)
by Esteban CéspedesThis work explains how different theories of causation confront causal overdetermination. Chapters clarify the problem of overdetermination and explore its fundamental aspects. It is argued that a theory of causation can account for our intuitions in overdetermination cases only by accepting that the adequacy of our claims about causation depends on the context in which they are evaluated. The author proposes arguments for causal contextualism and provides insight which is valuable for resolution of the problem. These chapters enable readers to quickly absorb different perspectives on overdetermination and important theories of causation, therefore it is a work that will have a broad appeal.
Causal Pluralism in the Life Sciences: A Journey Along the Frontiers of Conceptual Plurality (History, Philosophy and Theory of the Life Sciences #25)
by Kolja EhrensteinThis book takes a new approach to the debate on causal pluralism in the philosophy of biology by asking how useful pluralism is instead of debating its truth. The core thesis in this work is that many problems do not hinge on the question of whether or not we subscribe to causal pluralism. As one step in this central argument, the author develops an account that reasonably distinguishes pluralism from monism; in another step he studies cases that allegedly motivate causal pluralism in biology. Examining these cases shows how pluralism is often irrelevant and why pursuing pluralism is sometimes dangerous, since it may generate pseudo solutions to persistent philosophical problems. This book offers a systematic approach to this subject matter and argues that we might have overestimated the significance of the monism-pluralism distinction and at the same time failed to see the risks of pursuing causal pluralism.
Causal Powers and the Intentionality Continuum
by William A. BauerWhy does anything happen? What is the best account of natural necessity? In this book, William A. Bauer presents and defends a comprehensive account of the internal structure of causal powers that incorporates physical intentionality and information. Bauer explores new lines of thought concerning the theory of pure powers (powerful properties devoid of any qualitative nature), the place of mind in the physical world, and the role of information in explaining fundamental processes. He raises probing questions about physical modality and fundamental properties, and explores the possibility that physical reality and the mind are unified through intentionality. His book will be valuable for researchers and students working in metaphysics, philosophy of science, and philosophy of mind.
The Causal Structure of Natural Selection (Elements in the Philosophy of Biology)
by Charles H. PenceRecent arguments concerning the nature of causation in evolutionary theory, now often known as the debate between the 'causalist' and 'statisticalist' positions, have involved answers to a variety of independent questions – definitions of key evolutionary concepts like natural selection, fitness, and genetic drift; causation in multi-level systems; or the nature of evolutionary explanations, among others. This Element offers a way to disentangle one set of these questions surrounding the causal structure of natural selection. Doing so allows us to clearly reconstruct the approach that some of these major competing interpretations of evolutionary theory have to this causal structure, highlighting particular features of philosophical interest within each. Further, those features concern problems not exclusive to the philosophy of biology. Connections between them and, in two case studies, contemporary metaphysics and philosophy of physics demonstrate the potential value of broader collaboration in the understanding of evolution.
Causality and Chance in Modern Physics
by David BohmIn this classic, David Bohm was the first to offer us his causal interpretation of the quantum theory. Causality and Chance in Modern Physics continues to make possible further insight into the meaning of the quantum theory and to suggest ways of extending the theory into new directions.
Causality and Modern Science
by Mario BungeThe causal problem has become topical once again. While we are no longer causalists or believers in the universal truth of the causal principle we continue to think of causes and effects, as well as of causal and noncausal relations among them. Instead of becoming indeterminists we have enlarged determinism to include noncausal categories. And we are still in the process of characterizing our basic concepts and principles concerning causes and effects with the help of exact tools. This is because we want to explain, not just describe, the ways of things. The causal principle is not the only means of understanding the world but it is one of them.The demand for a fourth edition of this distinguished book on the subject of causality is clear evidence that this principle continues to be an important and popular area of philosophic enquiry. Non-technical and clearly written, this book focuses on the ontological problem of causality, with specific emphasis on the place of the causal principle in modern science. Mario Bunge first defines the terminology employed and describes various formulations of the causal principle. He then examines the two primary critiques of causality, the empiricist and the romantic, as a prelude to the detailed explanation of the actual assertions of causal determinism.Bunge analyzes the function of the causal principle in science, touching on such subjects as scientific law, scientific explanation, and scientific prediction. In so doing, he offers an education to layman and specialist alike on the history of a concept and its opponents. Professor William A. Wallace, author of Causality and Scientific Explanation said of an earlier edition of this work: "I regard it as a truly seminal work in this field."
Causality and Modern Science: Third Revised Edition
by Mario Bunge"I regard it as a truly seminal work in this field." -- Professor William A. Wallace, author of Causality and Scientific ExplanationThis third edition of a distinguished book on the subject of causality is clear evidence that this principle continues to be an important area of philosophic enquiry.Non-technical and clearly written, this book focuses on the ontological problem of causality, with specific emphasis on the place of the causal principle in modern science. The author first defines the terminology employed and describes various formulations on the causal principle. He then examines the two primary critiques of causality, the empiricist and the romantic, as a prelude to the detailed explanation of the actual assertions of causal determination. Finally, Dr. Bunge analyzes the function of the causal principle in science, touching on such subjects as scientific law, scientific explanation, and scientific prediction. Included, also, is an appendix that offers specific replies to questions and criticisms raised upon the publication of the first edition.Now professor of philosophy and head of the Foundation and Philosophy of Science Unit at McGill University in Montreal, Dr. Mario Bunge has formerly been a full professor of theoretical physics. His observations on causality are of great interest to both scientists and humanists, as well as the general scientific and philosophic reader.
Causality for Artificial Intelligence: From a Philosophical Perspective
by Jordi VallverdúHow can we teach machine learning to identify causal patterns in data? This book explores the very notion of “causality”, identifying from a naturalistic and evolutionary perspective how living systems deal with causal relationships. At the same time, using this knowledge to identify the best ways to apply such biological models in machine learning scenarios. One of the more fundamental challenges for AI experts is to design machines that can understand the world, identifying the basic rules that govern reality. Statistics are powerful and fundamental for this process, but they are only one of the necessary tools. Counterfactual thinking is the other part of the necessary process that will help machines to become intelligent. This book explains the paths that can lead to algorithmic causality. It is essential reading for those who are not afraid of thinking at the interface of various academic disciplines or fields (AI, machine learning, philosophy, neuroscience, anthropology, psychology, computer sciences), and who are interested in the analysis of causal thinking and the ways in which cognitive systems (natural or artificial) can act in order to understand their environment. Professor Vallverdú is currently working on biomimetic cognitive architectures and multicognitive systems. His research has explored two main areas: epistemology and cognition. Since his early Ph.D. research on epistemic controversies, he has analyzed several aspects of computational epistemology. His latest research has focused on the causal challenges of machine learning techniques, particularly deep learning. One of his most promising advances is statistics meets causal graph reasoning (via Directed Acyclic Graphs), which still has several conceptual paths that need to be explored and identified. Counterfactual reasoning is a fundamental part of these open debates, which are under the analysis of Prof. Vallverdú. His current research is supported as part of the following projects: GEHUCT and ICREA Acadèmia.
Causality in Policy Studies: a Pluralist Toolbox (Texts in Quantitative Political Analysis)
by Alessia Damonte Fedra NegriThis volume provides a methodological toolbox for conducting policy research. Recognizing that policy research spans various academic disciplines, each of which takes a different view on causality, the volume introduces a methodologically pluralistic approach to policy studies. Each chapter clarifies the research question that each technique can answer, the research design and data treatment that each technique requires for its results to be sound, the validity domain of its results, and the actual deployment of the technique through a replicable example. Techniques covered include quasi-experimental designs, approaches to account for selection bias and observed imbalances, directed acyclic graphs and structural equation models, Qualitative Comparative Analysis, Bayesian case study and process tracing, and Agent-Based Modelling. By working through the volume, readers will understand how to learn from different techniques, apply them consciously, and triangulate them to make better sense of findings. This volume is intended for advanced academic courses, as well as scholars and practitioners in policy-related fields, such as political science, economics, sociology, and public administration. This is an open access book.
Causality, Meaningful Complexity and Embodied Cognition (Theory and Decision Library A: #46)
by A. CarsettiWith respect to the possible outlining of new models of the process of knowledge construction, we are really faced, at the moment, with the appearance of a new frontier: a frontier that appears strictly linked to the emergence of a conceptual revolution at the level of the analysis of that peculiar entanglement of complexity, information, causality, meaning, emergence, teleology and intentionality that characterizes the unfolding of the "natural forms" of human cognition. To recognize some of the peculiar knots of this particular conceptual revolution precisely constitutes the first target of the volume. Cognitive activity is rooted in Reality, but at the same time represents the necessary means whereby Reality can embody itself in an objective way: i.e., in accordance with an in-depth nesting process and a surface unfolding of operational meaning. In this sense, the objectivity of Reality is also proportionate to the autonomy reached by cognitive processes. Within this conceptual framework, reference procedures thus appear as related to the modalities providing the successful constitution of the channel, of the actual link, in particular, established at the neural level between operations of vision and thought. Such procedures ensure not a simple "regimentation" or an adequate replica, but, on the contrary, the real constitution of a cognitive autonomy in accordance with the truth. A method thus emerges which is simultaneously project, telos and regulating activity: a code that becomes process, positing itself as the foundation of a constantly renewed synthesis between function and meaning. In this sense, at the level of cultural evolution, reference procedures act as guide, mirror and canalisation with respect to primary information flows and involved selective forces. They also constitute a precise support for the operations which "imprison" meaning and "inscribe" the "file" considered as an autonomous categorial (and generating) system. In this way, they offer themselves as the actual instruments for the constant renewal of the code, for the invention and the actual articulation of an ever-new incompressibility.
Causality, Probability, and Medicine
by Donald GilliesWhy is understanding causation so important in philosophy and the sciences? Should causation be defined in terms of probability? Whilst causation plays a major role in theories and concepts of medicine, little attempt has been made to connect causation and probability with medicine itself. Causality, Probability, and Medicine is one of the first books to apply philosophical reasoning about causality to important topics and debates in medicine. Donald Gillies provides a thorough introduction to and assessment of competing theories of causality in philosophy, including action-related theories, causality and mechanisms, and causality and probability. Throughout the book he applies them to important discoveries and theories within medicine, such as germ theory; tuberculosis and cholera; smoking and heart disease; the first ever randomized controlled trial designed to test the treatment of tuberculosis; the growing area of philosophy of evidence-based medicine; and philosophy of epidemiology. This book will be of great interest to students and researchers in philosophy of science and philosophy of medicine, as well as those working in medicine, nursing and related health disciplines where a working knowledge of causality and probability is required.
Causation and Cognition in Early Modern Philosophy (Routledge Studies in Seventeenth-Century Philosophy)
by Dominik Perler Sebastian BenderThis book re-examines the roles of causation and cognition in early modern philosophy. The standard historical narrative suggests that early modern thinkers abandoned Aristotelian models of formal causation in favor of doctrines that appealed to relations of efficient causation between material objects and cognizers. This narrative has been criticized in recent scholarship from at least two directions. Scholars have emphasized that we should not think of the Aristotelian tradition in such monolithic terms, and that many early modern thinkers did not unequivocally reduce all causation to efficient causation.In line with this general approach, this book features original essays written by leading experts in early modern philosophy. It is organized around five guiding questions: What are the entities involved in causal processes leading to cognition? What type(s) or kind(s) of causality are at stake? Are early modern thinkers confined to efficient causation or do other types of causation play a role? What is God's role in causal processes leading to cognition? How do cognitive causal processes relate to other, non-cognitive causal processes? Is the causal process in the case of human cognition in any way special? How does it relate to processes involved in the case of non-human cognition? The essays explore how fifteen early modern thinkers answered these questions: Francisco Suárez, René Descartes, Louis de la Forge, Géraud de Cordemoy, Nicolas Malebranche, Thomas Hobbes, Baruch de Spinoza, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, Ralph Cudworth, Margaret Cavendish, John Locke, John Sergeant, George Berkeley, David Hume, and Thomas Reid. The volume is unique in that it explores both well-known and understudied historical figures, and in that it emphasizes the intimate relationship between causation and cognition to open up new perspectives on early modern philosophy of mind and metaphysics.
Causation and Creation in Late Antiquity
by Anna Marmodoro Brian D. PrinceWritten by a group of leading scholars, this unique collection of essays investigates the views of both pagan and Christian philosophers on causation and the creation of the cosmos. Structured in two parts, the volume first looks at divine agency and how late antique thinkers, including the Stoics, Plotinus, Porphyry, Simplicius, Philoponus and Gregory of Nyssa, tackled questions such as: is the cosmos eternal? Did it come from nothing or from something pre-existing? How was it caused to come into existence? Is it material or immaterial? The second part looks at questions concerning human agency and responsibility, including the problem of evil and the nature of will, considering thinkers such as Plotinus, Porphyry, Proclus and Augustine. Highlighting some of the most important and interesting aspects of these philosophical debates, the volume will be of great interest to upper-level students and scholars of philosophy, classics, theology and ancient history.
Causation and Explanation: Causation And Explanation (Central Problems of Philosophy #8)
by Stathis PsillosWhat is the nature of causation? How is causation linked with explanation? And can there be an adequate theory of explanation? These questions and many others are addressed in this unified and rigorous examination of the philosophical problems surrounding causation, laws and explanation. Part 1 of this book explores Hume's views on causation, theories of singular causation, and counterfactual and mechanistic approaches. Part 2 considers the regularity view of laws and laws as relations among universals, as well as recent alternative approaches to laws. Part 3 examines the issues arising from deductive-nomological explanation, statistical explanation, the explanation of laws and the metaphysics of explanation. Accessible to readers of all levels, this book provides an excellent introduction to one of the most enduring problems of philosophy.
Causation and Laws of Nature (Routledge Studies in Contemporary Philosophy #Vol. 2)
by Max KistlerThis is the first English translation of Causalite´ et Lois de La Nature, and is an important contribution to the theory of causation. Max Kistler reconstructs a unified concept of causation that is general enough to adequately deal with both elementary physical processes, and the macroscopic level of phenomena we encounter in everyday life. This book will be of great interest to philosophers of science and metaphysics, and also to students and scholars of philosophy of mind where concepts of causation and law play a prominent role.
Causation and Modern Philosophy (Routledge Advances in the History of Philosophy)
by Keith Allen Tom StonehamThis volume brings together a collection of new essays by leading scholars on the subject of causation in the early modern period, from Descartes to Lady Mary Shepherd. Aimed at researchers, graduate students and advanced undergraduates, the volume advances the understanding of early modern discussions of causation, and situates these discussions in the wider context of early modern philosophy and science. Specifically, the volume contains essays on key early modern thinkers, such as Descartes, Hobbes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Hume, Kant. It also contains essays that examine the important contributions to the causation debate of less widely discussed figures, including Louis la Forge, Thomas Brown and Lady Mary Shepherd.
Causation and Universals
by Evan FalesThe world contains objective causal relations and universals, both of which are intimately connected. If these claims are true, they must have far-reaching consequences, breathing new life into the theory of empirical knowledge and reinforcing epistemological realism. Without causes and universals, Professor Fales argues, realism is defeated, and idealism or scepticism wins. Fales begins with a detailed analysis of David Hume's argument that we have no direct experience of necessary connections between events, concluding that Hume was mistaken on this fundamental point. Then, adopting the view of Armstrong and others that causation is grounded in a second-order relation between universals, he explores a range of topics for which the resulting analysis of causation has systematic implications. In particular, causal identity conditions for physical universals are proposed, which generate a new argument for Platonism. The nature of space and time is discussed, with arguments against backward causation and for the view that space and time can exist independently of matter or causal process. Many of Professor Fales's conclusions seem to run counter to received opinion among contemporary empiricists. Yet his method is classically empiricist in spirit, and a chief motive for these metaphysical explorations is epistemological. The final chapters investigate the perennial question of whether an empiricist, internalist and foundational epistemology can support scientific realism.
Causation: The Basics (The Basics)
by Stuart GlennanCausation: The Basics explores questions about what causes are, and how we come to know them, describe them, and put them to use. The book begins with an introduction to the history of philosophical thinking about causation, followed by a series of chapters introducing important contemporary accounts of causation. It concludes with chapters on causation and agency, causal discovery, and causal explanation. Key questions explored in the book include: What distinguishes correlation from causation? How are the causes of singular events related to more general patterns of cause and effect? How are commonsense, scientific, and legal conceptions of causation related? Can certain occurrences be singled out as the main or principle causes of some effect? Is there a place in the world’s causal structure for human agency and free will? While introducing the major philosophical debates about the nature of causation, Causation: The Basics emphasizes the uses and challenges of causal reasoning as it occurs in the sciences, engineering, medicine, and other areas of human life. With a glossary of key terms and suggestions for further reading, the book provides readers with a clear and concise introduction to both theoretical and practical questions about causation.
The Causation Debate in Modern Philosophy, 1637-1739
by Kenneth ClatterbaughThe Causation Debate in Modern Philosophy examines the debate that began as modern science separated itself from natural philosophy in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The book specifically explores the two dominant approaches to causation as a metaphysical problem and as a scientific problem.
Causation, Evidence, and Inference (Routledge Studies in the Philosophy of Science)
by Julian ReissIn this book, Reiss argues in favor of a tight fit between evidence, concept and purpose in our causal investigations in the sciences. There is no doubt that the sciences employ a vast array of techniques to address causal questions such as controlled experiments, randomized trials, statistical and econometric tools, causal modeling and thought experiments. But how do these different methods relate to each other and to the causal inquiry at hand? Reiss argues that there is no "gold standard" in settling causal issues against which other methods can be measured. Rather, the various methods of inference tend to be good only relative to certain interpretations of the word "cause", and each interpretation, in turn, helps to address some salient purpose (prediction, explanation or policy analysis) but not others. The main objective of this book is to explore the metaphysical and methodological consequences of this view in the context of numerous cases studies from the natural and social sciences.
Causation, Freedom and Determinism: An Attempt to Solve the Causal Problem Through a Study of its Origins in Seventeenth-Century Philosophy (Routledge Library Editions: Free Will and Determinism #1)
by Mortimer TaubeThis book, first published in 1936, divides into roughly two parts: a re-examination of historical material; and a positive theory of causation suggested by the results of this re-examination. The historical study discloses an ambiguity in the meanings of causation and determinism; it discloses also that this ambiguity is transferred to the meaning of freedom.