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Causing problems: The nature of evidence and the epistemic theory of causality

Wilde, Michael Edward (2015) Causing problems: The nature of evidence and the epistemic theory of causality. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) thesis, University of Kent,. (doi:10.22024/UniKent/01.02.47987) (Access to this publication is currently restricted. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:47987)

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https://doi.org/10.22024/UniKent/01.02.47987

Abstract

The epistemic theory of causality maintains that causality is an epistemic relation, so that causality is taken to be a feature of the way an agent represents the world rather than an agent-independent or non-epistemological feature of the world. The objective of this essay is to cause problems for the epistemic theory of causality. This is not because I think that the epistemic theory is incorrect. In fact, I spend some time arguing in favour of the epistemic theory of causality. Instead, this essay should be regarded as something like an exercise in stress testing. The hope is that by causing problems for a particular version of the epistemic theory, the result will be a more robust version of that theory.

My gripe is with a particular version of the epistemic theory of causality, a version that is articulated with the help of objective Bayesianism. At first sight, objective Bayesianism looks like a plausible theory of rational belief. However, I argue that it is committed to a certain theory of evidence, a theory of evidence that recent work in epistemology has shown to be incorrect. In particular, objective Bayesianism maintains that evidence is perfectly accessible in a certain sense. But evidence just is not so perfectly accessible, according to recent developments in epistemology. However, this is not the end of the line for the epistemic theory of causality. Instead, I propose an epistemic theory of causality that dispenses with the assumption that evidence is perfectly accessible in the relevant sense.

Item Type: Thesis (Doctor of Philosophy (PhD))
Thesis advisor: Williamson, Jon
Thesis advisor: Corfield, David
DOI/Identification number: 10.22024/UniKent/01.02.47987
Additional information: The author of this thesis has requested that it be held under closed access. We are sorry but we will not be able to give you access or pass on any requests for access. 24/05/22
Uncontrolled keywords: Evidence, causality
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > B Philosophy (General)
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Arts and Humanities > School of Culture and Languages
Depositing User: Users 1 not found.
Date Deposited: 14 Apr 2015 17:00 UTC
Last Modified: 27 Jul 2022 09:17 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/47987 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Wilde, Michael Edward.

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