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Causal mechanisms in the social sciences as evidence for higher-order causal relations

Erik Weber (UGent)
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Abstract
The idea that knowledge of causal mechanisms is important for social scientists is very common in the methodological literature in the social sciences. On the one hand, it is often said that knowledge of causal mechanisms in the social sciences has an explanatory role: it is important because it provides insight into how causal relations at the higher level come about. On the other hand, it is often claimed that knowledge of mechanisms also has an evidential role: it helps to establish causal relations. In this chapter, I discuss this evidential role and spell out some of the details by formulating two theses about this role.

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Citation

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MLA
Weber, Erik. “Causal Mechanisms in the Social Sciences as Evidence for Higher-Order Causal Relations.” The Routledge Handbook of Causality and Causal Methods, edited by Phyllis Illari and Federica Russo, Routledge, 2024, pp. 454–66, doi:10.4324/9781003528937-52.
APA
Weber, E. (2024). Causal mechanisms in the social sciences as evidence for higher-order causal relations. In P. Illari & F. Russo (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of causality and causal methods (pp. 454–466). https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003528937-52
Chicago author-date
Weber, Erik. 2024. “Causal Mechanisms in the Social Sciences as Evidence for Higher-Order Causal Relations.” In The Routledge Handbook of Causality and Causal Methods, edited by Phyllis Illari and Federica Russo, 454–66. New York: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003528937-52.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Weber, Erik. 2024. “Causal Mechanisms in the Social Sciences as Evidence for Higher-Order Causal Relations.” In The Routledge Handbook of Causality and Causal Methods, ed by. Phyllis Illari and Federica Russo, 454–466. New York: Routledge. doi:10.4324/9781003528937-52.
Vancouver
1.
Weber E. Causal mechanisms in the social sciences as evidence for higher-order causal relations. In: Illari P, Russo F, editors. The Routledge handbook of causality and causal methods. New York: Routledge; 2024. p. 454–66.
IEEE
[1]
E. Weber, “Causal mechanisms in the social sciences as evidence for higher-order causal relations,” in The Routledge handbook of causality and causal methods, P. Illari and F. Russo, Eds. New York: Routledge, 2024, pp. 454–466.
@incollection{01JH3BX2HEX8Y7VJCNYJ78HFNZ,
  abstract     = {{The idea that knowledge of causal mechanisms is important for social scientists is very common in the methodological literature in the social sciences. On the one hand, it is often said that knowledge of causal mechanisms in the social sciences has an explanatory role: it is important because it provides insight into how causal relations at the higher level come about. On the other hand, it is often claimed that knowledge of mechanisms also has an evidential role: it helps to establish causal relations. In this chapter, I discuss this evidential role and spell out some of the details by formulating two theses about this role.}},
  author       = {{Weber, Erik}},
  booktitle    = {{The Routledge handbook of causality and causal methods}},
  editor       = {{Illari, Phyllis and Russo, Federica}},
  isbn         = {{9781032260198}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{454--466}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  title        = {{Causal mechanisms in the social sciences as evidence for higher-order causal relations}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.4324/9781003528937-52}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}

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