Overview
Causation is central to all our lives. What we see and hear causes us to have the beliefs in the world we need to tell us how to act - to cause us to survive and get what we want. We cannot understand the world and our place in it without understanding causation. Philosophers also need to understand it because they invoke it in theories of mind and language, of knowledge, explanation, decision-making and action. Causation's links with these and other hard topics - laws of nature, the mind-body relation, determinism, change and time - make it difficult to account for, especially given the indeterminism of modern physics and genetics. While progress has been made, a complete account of the nature and implications of causation is long overdue. D.H. Mellor's new book is that account. It covers all kinds of causing and affecting, of both events and facts: deterministic and interdeterministic, mental and physical, transparent and opaque. It shows what makes a cause explain, be evidence for and means to its effects and why it entails the laws of nature that determine the kinds of facts our world contains. It shows how causation distinguishes time from space, makes it linear, gives it direction and enables us to perceive it. It is a major study by one of the world's leading metaphysicians, and will change our views not only of causation but also of chance, laws, time and the basic constituents of nature.
Full Product Details
Author: D.H. Mellor (University of Cambridge, UK) ,
D.H. Mellor
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd
Imprint: Routledge
Dimensions:
Width: 15.60cm
, Height: 1.30cm
, Length: 23.40cm
Weight: 0.362kg
ISBN: 9780415197564
ISBN 10: 0415197562
Pages: 264
Publication Date: 05 November 1998
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
,
Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
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Reviews
""Mellor writes in a truly gripping manner...The Facts of Causation"" takes you on a journey through causal analysis, i.e. an issue fundamental for philosophy and theory of science...you will enjoy a guided tour while leads you to all the main topics... light up the ""troublesome parts and exhibits the highlights...."" -""Erkenntnis ""This forcefully and well written book elaborates and ambitious conception of causation, encompassing deterministic and indeterministic causation of events by other events, causation of events by dispositions, and causation of facts by other facts. The topics discussed include relations between causation, explanation, decision making, and evidential warrant ""Theoria."" ""This book...is the culmination of Mellor's work on causation over the last thirty years... a welcome addition to the libraries of philosophy of science, psychology, and metaphysics."" ""Philosophical Books.""
Mellor writes in a truly gripping manner...The Facts of Causation takes you on a journey through causal analysis, i.e. an issue fundamental for philosophy and theory of science...you will enjoy a guided tour while leads you to all the main topics... light up the troublesome parts and exhibits the highlights.... <br>- Erkenntnis <br> This forcefully and well written book elaborates and ambitious conception of causation, encompassing deterministic and indeterministic causation of events by other events, causation of events by dispositions, and causation of facts by other facts. The topics discussed include relations between causation, explanation, decision making, and evidential warrant Theoria. <br> This book...is the culmination of Mellor's work on causation over the last thirty years... a welcome addition to the libraries of philosophy of science, psychology, and metaphysics. Philosophical Books. <br>
Mellor writes in a truly gripping manner...The Facts of Causation takes you on a journey through causal analysis, i.e. an issue fundamental for philosophy and theory of science...you will enjoy a guided tour while leads you to all the main topics... light up the troublesome parts and exhibits the highlights.... - Erkenntnis This forcefully and well written book elaborates and ambitious conception of causation, encompassing deterministic and indeterministic causation of events by other events, causation of events by dispositions, and causation of facts by other facts. The topics discussed include relations between causation, explanation, decision making, and evidential warrant Theoria. This book...is the culmination of Mellor's work on causation over the last thirty years... a welcome addition to the libraries of philosophy of science, psychology, and metaphysics. Philosophical Books.
