what matters is understanding the concept, not the formula

Causation Fables

If you have ever tuned into the financial markets report on the evening news (or switched on CNBC just about any time on any given day) you are no doubt familiar with the formula by which the day’s action is delivered, with the anchor saying something along the lines of “stocks fell today on news of higher home foreclosures”. To drive the point home the broadcast will trot out the stock footage of suburban homes with foreclosure signs in the front yard. These kinds of reports are snappy and speak to our very human need to supply a causation narrative to the events we encounter in our lives. Small wonder that the question of causation has beguiled and tormented philosophers since the beginning of human civilization.   Continue reading →