Abstract
Causation has been discussed and debated for centuries. It has been a focus in philosophy, metaphysics, religion, biology, and the behavioral sciences. The earliest documented integrative thesis on causation was by Aristotle (384–322 b.c.), who critiqued the ideas of causality of philosophers who had preceded him To Aristotle, ultimate knowledge was the knowledge of causation, the “explanation” of things. Particularly important was knowledge of the “final cause” of something—the ultimate purpose or effect of an event.1
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Suggested Readings
Concepts of Causation
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Functionalism
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© 2000 Kluwer Academic / Plenum Publishers
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Haynes, S.N., O’Brien, W.H. (2000). Basic Concepts of Causation. In: Principles and Practice of Behavioral Assessment. Applied Clinical Psychology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-306-47469-9_9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-306-47469-9_9
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
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