Causalty
Jordi Cat

X755
Spring 2002

This course surveys and explores models of causal reasoning and
philosophical views about the nature of causation.  Questions about
the nature of causation include the following:  Are causes always
necessary conditions for the occurrence of their effect?   Can causes
be probabilistic?  Can causal relations be identified with frequencies
of co-occurrence?  Do causes act at a distance? Or backwards in time?
Can we make sense of scientific representations of the world without
some notion of causation?  How can the macroscopic world be governed
by causal processes while the microscopic world is subject to chance
occurrences?  Questions about causal reasoning include:  Why does
causal knowledge matter?  How can we best detect causes from
experience?  Can we know about the action of singular causes?  What
can statistical models show?  Are fuzzy-logical methods reliable for
detecting causal relations among non-quantifiable categories such as
religious fundamentalism and violence?