Hunting causes and using them : approaches in philosophy and economics / Nancy Cartwright.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Cartwright, Nancy, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Causation.

Science--Philosophy.

Science.

Economics--Philosophy.

Economics.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (x, 270 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Other Title:

Hunting Causes & Using Them

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2007.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Hunting Causes and Using Them argues that causation is not one thing, as commonly assumed, but many. There is a huge variety of causal relations, each with different characterizing features, different methods for discovery and different uses to which it can be put. In this collection of new and previously published essays, Nancy Cartwright provides a critical survey of philosophical and economic literature on causality, with a special focus on the currently fashionable Bayes-nets and invariance methods - and it exposes a huge gap in that literature. Almost every account treats either exclusively how to hunt causes or how to use them. But where is the bridge between? It's no good knowing how to warrant a causal claim if we don't know what we can do with that claim once we have it. This book will interest philosophers, economists and social scientists.

Contents:

Acknowledgements

Introduction

PART I. PLURALITY IN CAUSALITY. Preamble

Causation: one word, many things

Causal claims: warranting them and using them

Where is the theory in our 'theories' of causality?

PART II. CASE STUDIES: BAYES NETS AND INVARIANCE THEORIES. Preamble

What is wrong with Bayes nets?

Modularity: it can- and generally does- fail

Against modularity, the causal Markov condition and any link between the two: comments on Hausman and Woodward

From metaphysics to method: comments on manipulability and the causal Markov condition

Two theorems on invariance and causality

PART III. CAUSAL THEORIES IN ECONOMICS. Preamble

Probabilities and experiments

How to get causes from probabilities: Cartwright on Simon on causation

The merger of cause and strategy: Hoover on Simon on causation

The vanity of rigour in economics: theoretical models and Galilean experiments

Counterfactuals in economics: a commentary

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1-107-16779-5

1-280-90954-4

9786610909544

0-511-28559-0

0-511-28633-3

0-511-28400-4

0-511-32141-4

0-511-61875-1

0-511-28480-2

OCLC:

476062784