Causality

Causality is a core problem in social science methodology, as the laws of causality found in physics - which state generalizations without exceptions - are not found in the social sciences. As a consequence, classical definitions of the causal relation, such as John Stuart Mill’s definition in terms of invariant succession, need either to be modified and qualified, or replaced by a different concept of causality entirely. This has led to a long and complex literature on the problems of causality. This four volume major reference work, Causality , covers the main issues, methods of analysis, and alternatives, of causality, including the classic texts applying these alternative concepts and methods to empirical cases. The volumes give a substantial historical and philosophical introduction relevant to the concerns of practitioners. As a whole, the volumes represent a complete guide to the literature on social science causality from the beginning to the present.