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Making Things Happen

Making Things Happen : A Theory of Causal Explanation

 3.78 (37 ratings by Goodreads)
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Description

Woodward's long awaited book is an attempt to construct a comprehensive account of causation explanation that applies to a wide variety of causal and explanatory claims in different areas of science and everyday life. The book engages some of the relevant literature from other disciplines, as Woodward weaves together examples, counterexamples, criticisms, defenses, objections, and replies into a convincing defense of the core of his theory, which is that we can
analyze causation by appeal to the notion of manipulation.
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Product details

  • Paperback | 432 pages
  • 153 x 230 x 25mm | 618g
  • New York, United States
  • English
  • black & white illustrations
  • 0195189531
  • 9780195189537
  • 527,996

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  1. Categories:
  2. Philosophy
  3. Philosophy Of Science

Table of contents

1: Introduction and Preview
2: Causation and Manipulation
3: Interventions, Agency, and Counterfactuals
4: Causal Explanation: Background and Criticism
5: A Counterfactual Theory of Causal Explanation
6: Invariance
7: Causal Interpretation in Structural Models
8: The Causal Mechanical and Unificationist Models of Explanation
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Review quote

The discussions are detailed and technical, but not such as to lead us to lose sight of the big picture; his treatment is illuminating... As other reviewers have stated, Woodward's book is outstanding. * James G. Murphy, Milltown Studies * this is a splendid book. It is beautifully and clearly written; and in countless ways sheds a flood of light on a range of topics to do with causation and explanation. It represents the most significant and substantial philosophical contribution to the study of these concepts in recent years. Reading and studying this book will be obligatory for everyone whose work bears directly or indirectly on the topics of causation and explanation. * Peter Menzies, Mind *
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About James Woodward

James Woodward is the author of a number of articles in the philosophy of science. He has taught at the California Institute of Technology since 1983 where he is presently the J.O. and Juliette Koepfli Professor of Humanities.
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Rating details

37 ratings
3.78 out of 5 stars
5 24% (9)
4 46% (17)
3 14% (5)
2 16% (6)
1 0% (0)
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