Ellery Eells on Probabilistic Causation

Subject Areas : Philosophy

منصوره  قبدیان ¹ (ندارد)

Received: 2010-10-14 Accepted : 2011-01-31 Published : 2011-03-21

Keywords: probabilistic causality, causation, probability, objective&#x0D, &#x0D, interpretation, type level, token level, Determinism, Indeterminism, quantum physics,

Abstract :

In this research, the theory of probabilistic causation is investigated.The main idea of this theory is that the cause changes the probability ofhappening effect. The causation in this theory is introduced as anobjective relation and it is based on inherent properties. The causalrelation is attended in type level. Otherwise human cognition of naturalphenomena is not definite and determined; the process of cognition isapproximated to the truth. In another words, with the acceptance offault of human cognition, man suggests a probable frame forexplanation of his findings. Probabilistic causation uses the probabilitytheory as a tool for explaining the relationship between cause andeffect. Probabilistic causation is proposed in two levels: type level(General causal) and token levels (Singular causal). In this research,like Eells’s approach, probability causation relationship in type leveland it is considered in General causal meaning. Causal relation isconsidered as typical factor or Property. There are two differentinterpretations: objective interpretation and subjective interpretation.What is explored in this research is objective interpretation in the frameof frequency-propensity interpretation. The main question in thisresearch is consideration in the sense of probabilistic causation theoryand pondering the capability and merits of this concept in against withontological and epistemological challenges.