PH0112 Theories of Causation

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2007
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
Ing. Mgr. Zdeňka Jastrzembská, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Jan Zouhar, CSc.
Department of Philosophy – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Hana Holmanová
Timetable
Wed 10:00–11:35 A11 stara
Prerequisites (in Czech)
PH1105 Ontology II || PHK1105 Ontology II || PROGRAM(N-PH)|| PROGRAM(N-HS)
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The aim of the course is to introduce the spectrum of problems that forms the framework of contemporary philosophical discussions of causation. On the one hand, some basic questions will be delineated and analysed. (Which is the nature of processes that link causes and effects? It is possible to reduce causal relations to some noncausal ones? What distinguishes the causal processes from the pseudo-processes? It is causal relation given directly in our experience, or it is pure theoretical notion? etc.) On the other hand, the most influential conceptions and approaches to solving these will be presented. Hume’s inquiry into the nature of causation. The tradition that attemts to explain causation in terms of necessary and/or sufficient conditions. Probabilistic theories of causations that aim to characterize the relationship between cause and effect using the tools of probability theory. Counterfactual theories of causation that appear in connection with the development of possible world semantics for counterfactuals and that a singular causal claim try to explain in terms of counterfactual conditionals. Theories of causal processes and also some singularistic approaches. The focus will be on the participation in course work and on the reading.
Language of instruction
Czech
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2005, Autumn 2006, Autumn 2008, Autumn 2009, Autumn 2010, Autumn 2011, Autumn 2012, Autumn 2013, Autumn 2014, Autumn 2015, Autumn 2016, Autumn 2017, Autumn 2018.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2007, recent)
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