From Cause to Causation: A Peircean PerspectiveFrom Cause to Causation presents both a critical analysis of C.S. Peirce's conception of causation, and a novel approach to causation, based upon the semeiotic of Peirce. The book begins with a review of the history of causation, and with a critical discussion of contemporary theories of the concept of `cause'. The author uncovers a number of inadequacies in the received views of causation, and discusses their historical roots. He makes a distinction between "causality", which is the relation between cause and effect, and causation, which is the production of a certain effect. He argues that, by focusing on causality, the contemporary theories fatally neglect the more fundamental problem of causation. The author successively discusses Peirce's theories of final causation, natural classes, semeiotic, and semeiotic causation. Finally, he uses Peirce's semeiotic to develop a new approach to causation, which relates causation to our experience of signs. |
Contents
SOMEKEY MOMENTS IN THE HISTORY OF | |
3Causation in modernPhilosophy | |
Critical Philosophy from Locke till Mill | |
Important Changes in the Meaning of Cause | |
Causesas MeanstoEnds | |
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acause According to Peirce's accordingto andeffects andthe approach to causation Aristotelian Aristotle Aristotle’s belongto bythe causal relations causation involves cause and effect causeof character characterized chemical elements classification concept of cause conceptionof conceptof concrete consider contemporary counterfactual defined definition Descartes determined discussion distinction doesnot Ducasse dynamic object efficient cause entails essence example existence explain fact final cause formal causes fromthe Hume Hume’s icons idea interpretant inthe isan isnot isthat isthe itis lawlike laws Leibniz Mayr Mayr’s metaphysical Moreover natural classes natural kinds necessary condition necessity occurred ofcausation ofevents offinal ofnatural ofthe onthe ontology orthogenesis Peirce's conception Peirce's semeiotic perspective philosophers presuppose principle probabilistic problem produced Ransdell Ransdell’s relationship semeiosis semeiotic causation sense Spinoza structure substance sufficient conditions supervenient symbol synechism teleological process thata thatit thatthe thecause theconcept theidea theobject thereis thesign things tobe tocausation toPeirce's tothe triadic triadic relation universe Whereas whichis