Regularity Theories Reassessed

被引:71
作者
Baumgartner, Michael [1 ]
机构
[1] Univ Bern, Dept Philosophy, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
关键词
Causation; Regularity theory; Determinism; David Hume; John L. Mackie;
D O I
10.1007/s11406-007-9114-4
中图分类号
B [哲学、宗教];
学科分类号
01 ; 0101 ;
摘要
For a long time, regularity accounts of causation have virtually vanished from the scene. Problems encountered within other theoretical frameworks have recently induced authors working on causation, laws of nature, or methodologies of causal reasoning - as e. g. May (Kausales Schliessen. Eine Untersuchung uber kausale Erklarungen und Theorienbildung. Ph.D. thesis, Universitat Hamburg, Hamburg, 1999), Ragin (Fuzzy-set social science. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), Grasshoff and May (Causal regularities. In W. Spohn, M. Ledwig, & M. Esfeld (Eds.), Current issues in causation (pp. 85 - 114). Paderborn: Mentis, 2001), Swartz (The concept of physical law (2nd ed.). http://www.sfu.ca/philosophy/physical-law/,2003), Halpin (Erkenntnis, 58, 137 - 168, 2003) - to direct their attention back to regularity theoretic analyses. In light of the latest proposals of regularity theories, the paper at hand therefore reassesses the criticism raised against regularity accounts since the INUS theory of causation of Mackie (The cement of the universe. A study of causation. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1974). It is shown that most of these objections target strikingly over-simplified regularity theoretic sketches. By outlining ways to refute these objections it is argued that the prevalent conviction as to the overall failure of regularity theories has been hasty.
引用
收藏
页码:327 / 354
页数:28
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