1.

Record Nr.

UNISA996309149703316

Autore

Wronski Leszek

Titolo

Reichenbach's paradise : constructing the realm of probabilstic common "causes" / / Leszek Wroński; managing editor, Anna Michalska; language editor Sara Tavares

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Warsaw, [Poland] ; ; Berlin, [Germany] : , : De Gruyter Open, , 2014

©2014

ISBN

3-11-039934-2

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (xii, 113 pages)

Classificazione

CC 3400

Disciplina

191

Soggetti

Causation

Philosophy (General)

Probabilities. Mathematical statistics

PHILOSOPHY / General

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

Frontmatter -- Contents -- List of Figures / List of Tables -- Acknowledgments / Introduction -- 1 The Principle of the Common Cause: Its Shapes and Content -- 2 Screening Off and Explanation: Formal Properties -- 3 The Principle of the Common Cause and the Bell Inequalities -- 4 The Principle of the Common Cause and the Causal Markov Condition -- 5 Causal Closedness -- 6 Causal Completability -- Conclusion -- Bibliography -- Index

Sommario/riassunto

Since its introduction by Hans Reichenbach, many philosophers have claimed to refute the idea - known as the common cause principle - that any surprising correlation between any two factors that do not directly influence one another is due to some common cause. For example, falsity of the principle is frequently inferred from falsifiability of Bell's inequalities. The author demonstrates, however, that the situation is not so straightforward. There is more than one version of the principle formulated with the use of different variants of Reichenbach-inspired notions; their falsity still remains an open question. The book traces different formulations of the principle and provides proofs of a few pertinent theorems, settling the relevant



questions in various probability spaces. In exploring mathematical and philosophical issues surrounding the principle, the book offers both philosophical insight and mathematical rigor.