Description
What is causality? Is it a necessary connection between events or a mere contingent relation of constant conjunction? What does it mean to say that something causes something else? What is the nature of causal explanations? What is their phenomenology and how do they work? This course is a philosophical endeavour to develop a satisfactory notion of causation in the light of such questions and others. The students can develop their own ideas in the context of arguments on causation. We will discuss the tradition of philosophical theorizing about causation, beginning with the foundational suggestions of Aristotle, David Hume and Immanuel Kant, and moving into the classic proposals of thinkers like John Mackie, G. E. M. Anscombe and Donald Davidson. Lastly, we will explore contemporary accounts of causation including the counterfactual account of David Lewis, the necessitation accounts of Michael Tooley and David Armstrong, and the capacity/power metaphysics of Nancy Cartwright and Stephen Mumford. We will dwell on the nature of causal dispositions and the question whether causal powers should or can be reduced to non-causal properties. We will also contemplate the spatio-temporal direction of causation and the possibility of backward causation.
Teaching method
Lectures and seminars
Admission requirements
The course is open to senior philosophy students and others with sufficient background in philosophy.
Course objectives
Course objectives will be made available on Blackboard at the start of the course.
Required reading
Prescribed readings will be made available during the course.
Test method
Depending on the number of enrolments:
one or two compulsory presentations during the semester;
two shorter mid-term papers;
one longer final paper;
oral class participation.
Time table
See: Timetable BA Philosophy
Information
I.N. Icen, MA ( i.n.icen@phil.leidenuniv.nl )
Registration
Please register for this course on U-twist. See registration procedure
Blackboard
Remarks
Studiepad: Epistemologie & Wetenschapsfilosofie