Hostname: page-component-7f64f4797f-l842n Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-11-04T05:59:08.467Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Causality and Determinism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 April 2022

Germund Hesslow
Germund Hesslow*
Affiliation:
Filosofiska Institutionen Lunds Universitet
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A previous paper of mine, that criticized Suppes' probabilistic theory of causality, was in turn criticized by Deborah Rosen. This paper is a development of my argument and an answer to Rosen. It is argued that the concept of causation is used in contemporary science in a way that presupposes determinism. It is shown that deterministic assumptions are necessary for inferences from generic to individual causal relations and for various kinds of eliminative arguments.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Philosophy of Science , Volume 48 , Issue 4 , December 1981 , pp. 591 - 605
Copyright
Copyright © 1981 by the Philosophy of Science Association

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

REFERENCES

Anscombe, G. E. M. (1975), “Causality and Determination.” In E. Sosa (ed.) Causation and Conditionals. London: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Falconer, D. S. (1960), Introduction to Quantitative Genetics. London: Oliver and Boyd.Google Scholar
Feinstein, A. (1971), “How do we measure ‘safety and efficacy'?” Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics 12: 544–558.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hesslow, G. (1976), “Two Notes on the Probabilistic Approach to Causality.” Philosophy of Science 43: 290–92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lewontin, R. (1974), “The Analysis of Variance and the Analysis of Causes.” American Journal of Human Genetics 26: 400–411.Google ScholarPubMed
Pap, A. (1962), An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science. New York: The Free Press.Google Scholar
Phillips, B. S. (1966), Social Research: Strategy and Tactics. New York: The Macmillan Company.Google Scholar
Robbins, S. L. and Angeli, M. (1977), Basic Pathology. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders Company.Google Scholar
Rosen, D. (1975), “An Argument for the Logical Notion of a Memory Trace. “ Philosophy of Science 42: 1–10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rosen, D. (1978), “In Defence of a Probabilistic Theory of Causality.” Philosophy of Science 45: 604–613.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Salmon, W. S. (1971), Statistical Explanation and Statistical Relevance. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sidman, M. (1960), Tactics of Scientific Research. New York: Basic Books.Google Scholar
Suppes, P. (1970), A Probabilistic Theory of Causality. Amsterdam: North-Holland.Google Scholar