Causality and Explanation in Social Sciences: an Aristotelian Approach

CRESPO, RICARDO F.

Cape Town

Jornada; INEM Conference; 2015

INEM

Causality and explanation are hottopics in the contemporary philosophy of natural and social sciences. Thedissatisfaction with some ?classical? accounts of scientific explanation leadsphilosophers of science to probe the possibilities of causal explanations.However, instead of unanimous notions on causation and explanation, a plethoraof concepts emerged. As a result, new visions about the social sciences haveemerged during the last decades. Steel and Guala, in their recently edited bookon the philosophy of social science note that ?there is little consensus acrossthe social sciences as to the basic methods, aims, and fundamental assumptionsabout human beings? (2011, p. 1). A whole part (Part II) of this bookconcentrates on the different views about causal inference and explanation insocial sciences, and Part I is about the influences of values in socialresearch.