Module 6: Causal Reasoning
Causal Reasoning Overview
Inductive arguments used to support claims about cause and effect come in a number of different forms. The most straightforward form is called enumerative induction. This is an argument that makes a (non-hasty) generalization, inferring that one event or type of event causes another on the basis of a (large) number of particular observations of the cause immediately preceding the effect. To use a very famous example from the history of philosophy (thanks due to David Hume, the 18th-century Scottish philosopher who had much to say about cause and effect and inductive reasoning), we can infer from observations of a number of billiard-ball collisions that the first ball colliding with the second causes the second ball to move. Or we can infer from a number of observations of drunkenness following the consumption of alcoholic beverages that imbibing alcohol causes one to become drunk.
This is all well and good, so far as it goes. It just doesn’t go very far. If we want to establish a robust knowledge of what causes the natural phenomena we are interested in, we need techniques that are more sophisticated than simple enumerative induction. There are such techniques. These are patterns of reasoning identified and cataloged by John Stuart Mill and have come to be called “Mill’s Methods.” Mill thought of them as tools to be used in the investigation of nature, that is, methods for discovering the causes of natural phenomena.
Learning Objectives
After successful completion of Module 6, you will be able to:
- Differentiate between causes that are ‘necessary’, ‘sufficient’, or not specifically either type.
- Apply Mill’s Methods appropriately to causal-investigation scenarios.
- Recognize potential limitations and cautions when isolating causes with Mill’s methods.
Module 6 Roadmap
- Section 6.1: We start with a quick look at the meanings of the term ‘cause’ and the types of causes.
- Section 6.2: Then we look in depth at each of Mill’s Methods (there are five of them), and we will use examples to illustrate each.
- Section 6.3: We conclude the material on causal reasoning by exploring some inherent limitations and difficulties that come up when isolating causes.
Key Terms
- necessary cause
- sufficient cause
Definitions for these terms are available in the course Glossary.
Candela Citations
- Retrieved from: https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/fundamental-methods-of-logic. License: CC BY: Attribution
