Causality: Philosophical Theory meets Scientific Practice

by Phyllis Illari, Federica Russo

Head hits cause brain damage - but not always. Should we ban sport to protect athletes? Exposure to electromagnetic fields is strongly associated with cancer development - does that mean exposure causes cancer? Should we encourage old fashioned communication instead of mobile phones to reduce cancer rates? According to popular wisdom, the Mediterranean diet keeps you healthy. Is this belief scientifically sound? Should public health bodies encourage consumption offresh fruit and vegetables? Severe financial constraints on research and public policy, media pressure, and public anxiety make such questions of immense current concern not just to philosophers but to scientists, governments, public bodies, and the general public.In the last decade there has been an explosion of theorizing about causality in philosophy, and also in the sciences. This literature is both fascinating and important, but it is involved and highly technical. This makes it inaccessible to many who would like to use it, philosophers and scientists alike.This book is an introduction to philosophy of causality - one that is highly to scientists unacquainted with philosophy, to philosophers unacquainted with science, and to anyone else lost in the labyrinth of philosophical theories of causality. It presents key philosophical accounts, concepts and methods, using examples from the sciences to show how to apply philosophical debates to scientific problems.

Genres: Science, Philosophy

325 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 2, 2014

Reviews

[Lime Street Labrador · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dry dry dry

[Brendan Shea · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book might be a decent choice for an introductory (200- or 300-level) philosophy of science class, and I liked the engagement with contemporary debates concerning causation (both within and outside of philosophy). However, the book's simplified presentation of these theories is far from perfect, and I had a number of concerns about the accuracy with which various views were presented or assessed.

[Gustavo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple, suscint summary of causal methods

Provides an easy to read compilation of the scholarly discussions about causality in three lines of thought: Philosophy, law, and science. Clearly written!, gave me basic concepts in an easy to read compilation.