Causes and Explanations: A Structural-Model Approach. Part I: Causes
2005/11/09 by Joseph Y. Halpern, Judea Pearl · 787 citations
Arts and Humanities · Computer Science · Mathematics · #Advanced Causal Inference Techniques #Bayesian Modeling and Causal Inference #Causal model #Causation #Computer science #Counterfactual conditional #Counterfactual thinking #Epistemology #Mathematical economics #Mathematics #Philosophy #Philosophy and History of Science #Statistics
paper · doi:10.1093/bjps/axi147
published in The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 56(4), 843-887 (Oxford University Press)
openalex publication_date 2005/11/09 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Abstract
We propose a new definition of actual causes, using structural equations to model counterfactuals. We show that the definition yields a plausible and elegant account of causation that handles well examples which have caused problems for other definitions and resolves major difficulties in the traditional account. 1. Introduction2. Causal models: a review2.1Causal models2.2Syntax and semantics3. The definition of cause4. Examples5. A more refined definition6. DiscussionAAppendix: Some Technical IssuesA.1The active causal processA.2A closer look at AC2(b)A.3Causality with infinitely many variablesA.4Causality in nonrecursive models
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