Unravelling the Methodology of Causal Pluralism

Abstract

In this paper we try t o b ring some c larification in the r ecent d ebate o n ca usal p luralism. Our first aim is to clarify what it means to have a pluralistic theory of causation and to articulate the criteria by means of which a certain theory of causation can or cannot qualify as a pluralistic theory of causation . W e als o show that there i s curre ntly no theory on the market which meets the se cr iteria, and therefore no full-blown pluralistic theory of causation exists. Because of this, we offer a general strategy by means of which pluralistic theories of causation can be developed.