Causality as a Theoretical Concept

Abstract

In the first part of this chapter I finish the axiomatization of the causal nets framework started in Chap. 3 I also argue that the causal Markov axiom provides the best explanation for two statistical phenomena. In the second part I present several results about the empirical content of different versions (i.e., combination of axioms) of the theory of causal nets. Both parts together show that causation satisfies the same modern standards as theoretical concepts of good empirical theories do. This can be seen as new empirical support for the theory of causal nets, but also as an answer to Hume’s skeptical challenge: Actually, it seems that we have good reasons to believe in causation as something ontologically real out there in the world.