Making Things Happen: A Theory of Causal ExplanationWoodward's long awaited book is an attempt to construct a comprehensive account of causation explanation that applies to a wide variety of causal and explanatory claims in different areas of science and everyday life. The book engages some of the relevant literature from other disciplines, as Woodward weaves together examples, counterexamples, criticisms, defenses, objections, and replies into a convincing defense of the core of his theory, which is that we can analyze causation by appeal to the notion of manipulation. |
Contents
Introduction and Preview | 3 |
Causation and Manipulation | 25 |
Interventions Agency and Counterfactuals | 94 |
Causal Explanation Background and Criticism | 152 |
A Counterfactual Theory of Causal Explanation | 187 |
Invariance | 239 |
Causal Interpretation in Structural Models | 315 |
The Causal Mechanical and Unificationist Models of Explanation | 350 |
Afterword | 374 |
Notes | 376 |
| 398 | |
| 407 | |
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Common terms and phrases
according actual additional alternative answer appeal argument associated assume assumptions background behavior beliefs causal claims causal relationships cause change the value chapter characterization circumstances conception connection consider continue contrast contributing correlation counterfactual dependence derivation described detailed direct direct cause discussion distinct effect equations event example existence expect experiment explanation explanatory fact fails figure fixed follows given happen hence hold idea illustration important independent interest interpretation interventions invariant involving judgments kind laws least manipulation matter means mechanism natural notion object observation occur particular pattern philosophers physical position possible practical present probability produce question range reason regard relation relevant represent require respect result role satisfy seems sense similar situation sort specific structure sufficient suggests Suppose tell theory true underlying understanding variables various