The Oxford Handbook of Causation (Oxford Handbooks)

Causation is a central topic in many areas of philosophy. In metaphysics, philosophers want to know what causation is, and how it is related to laws of nature, probability, action, and freedom of the will. In epistemology, philosophers investigate how causal claims can be inferred from statistical data, and how causation is related to perception, knowledge and explanation. In the philosophy of mind, philosophers want to know whether and how the mind can be said to have causal efficacy, and in ethics, whether there is a moral distinction between acts and omissions and whether the moral value of an act can be judged according to its consequences. And causation is a contested concept in other fields of enquiry, such as biology, physics, and the law. This book provides an in-depth and comprehensive overview of these and other topics, as well as the history of the causation debate from the ancient Greeks to the logical empiricists. The chapters provide surveys of contemporary debates, while often also advancing novel and controversial claims; and each includes a comprehensive bibliography and suggestions for further reading. The book is thus the most comprehensive source of information about causation currently available, and will be invaluable for upper-level undergraduates through to professional philosophers. About the Author Helen Beebee is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Birmingham. Christopher Hitchcock is Professor of Philosophy at the California Institute of Technology. Peter Menzies is Professor of Philosophy at Macquarie University, Sydney. List of Contributors......Page 13 H EIEN B EEBEE, C HRISTOPHER H ITCHCOCK, AND P ETER M ENZIES......Page 19 S ARAH B ROADIE......Page 36 J OHN M ARENBON......Page 51 K ENNETH C LATTERBAUGH......Page 64 D ON G ARRETT......Page 80 E RIC W ATKINS......Page 96 M ICHAEL S TOLTZNER......Page 110 S TATHIS P SILLOS......Page 129 L. A. P AUL......Page 153 J ON W ILLIAMSON......Page 175 P HIL D OWE......Page 198 J AMES F. W OODWARD......Page 217 S TEPHEN M UMFORD......Page 242 J OHN W. C ARROLL......Page 254 C HRISTOPHER H ITCHCOCK......Page 271 S TUART G LENNAN......Page 285 P ETER G ODFREY -S MITH......Page 295 P ETER M ENZIES......Page 306 M ICHAEL T OOLEY......Page 329 D OUGLAS E HRING......Page 346 H UW P RICE and B RAD W ESLAKE......Page 370 D AVID D ANKS......Page 395 H ELEN B EEBEE......Page 416 C LARK G LYMOUR......Page 440 C EI M ASLEN , T ERRY H ORGAN , and H ELEN D ALY......Page 460 A LFRED R. M ELE......Page 486 C AROLINA S ARTORIO......Page 503 R AM N ETA......Page 518 F RANK J ACKSON......Page 531 P ETER L IPTON......Page 541 P AUL H UMPHREYS......Page 552 M ARC L ANGE......Page 566 L AWRENCE S KLAR......Page 577 R ICHARD H EALEY......Page 587 C ARL H OEFER......Page 600 S AMIR O KASHA......Page 617 H AROLD K INCAID......Page 633 J ANE S TAPLETON......Page 649 PART I. THE HISTORY OF CAUSATION......Page 35 PART II. STANDARD APPROACHES TO CAUSATION......Page 128 PART III. ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO CAUSATION......Page 241 PART IV. THE METAPHYSICS OF CAUSATION......Page 305 PART V. THE EPISTEMOLOGY OF CAUSATION......Page 394 PART VI. CAUSATION IN PHILOSOPHICAL THEORIES......Page 459 PART VII. CAUSATION IN OTHER DISCIPLINES......Page 565 Index......Page 672 Causation Is A Central Topic In Many Areas Of Philosophy Including Metaphysics, Epistemology, Philosophy Of Mind, Ethics History Of Philosophy, And Philosophy Of Science. Here, 37 Specially Written Chapters Provide The Most Comprehensive Critical Guide Available To Issues Surrounding Causation. Edited By Helen Beebee, Christopher Hitchcock And Peter Menzies. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Causation is a central topic in many areas of philosophy, including metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of mind, ethics, history of philosophy, and philosophy of science. Thirty-seven specially written chapters by some of the world's leading philosophers provide the most comprehensive critical guide available to issues surrounding causation