Causation and Laws of Nature

Max Kistler is Maitre de conferences, in the Department of Philosophy at the Universite Paris X-Nanterre, France and member of Institut Jean Nicod, Paris.

Praise for the French language edition of Causalité et lois de la nature‘… it is a pleasure to read Kistler’s book and … its argument is very well developed. It is a remarkable example of the standards of clarity and precision that are achieved in today’s analytical philosophy of science.’Michael Esfedl, University of Konstanz, Germany: review of French language edition in Dialectica"… a wonderfully rich book by Max Kistler … not only a skilled writer in the history of philosophy; he also makes important and novel contributions both to the theory of causation and to the philosophy of laws of nature. (…) This book is already packed with good arguments. My impression is that Causalité et lois de la nature is important reading for all philosophers with an interest in laws of nature and causation. I will certainly be on the watch both for the translation of it and for forthcoming work by Max Kistler."Johannes Persson, Lund University, review in Mind

• 1. What is a Causal Relation? 2. Laws of Nature and Universal Generalisations 3. Applicability Conditions and the Concept of "Strict Law" 4. Consequences 5. The Nomological Theory of Causation and Causal Responsibility 6. Efficacious Properties and the Instantiation of Laws 7. Causal Responsibility and its Applications Conclusion