Planer, Ronald J. and Pain, Ross (2024) Expanding the Causal Menu: An Interventionist Perspective on Explaining Human Behavioral Evolution. [Preprint]
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Abstract
Theorists of human evolution are interested in understanding major shifts in human behavioral capacities (e.g., the creation of a novel technological industry, such as the Acheulean). This task faces empirical challenges arising both from the complexity of these events and the time-depths involved. However, we also confront issues of a more philosophical nature, such as how to best think about causation and explanation. This article considers such fundamental questions from the perspective of a prominent theory of causation in the philosophy of science literature, namely, the interventionist theory of causation. A signature feature of this framework is its recognition of a family of distinct types of causes. We set out several of these causal notions and show how they can contribute to explaining transitions in human behavioral complexity. We do so, first, in a preliminary way, and then in a more detailed way, taking the origins of behavioral modernity as our extended case study. We conclude by suggesting some ways in which the approach developed here might be elaborated and extended.
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| Item Type: | Preprint | |||||||||
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| Keywords: | Interventionism; actual difference making causation; specific causation; cultural complexity; behavioural modernity | |||||||||
| Subjects: | Specific Sciences > Anthropology Specific Sciences > Archaeology Specific Sciences > Biology > Evolutionary Theory General Issues > Causation |
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| Depositing User: | Dr Ross Pain | |||||||||
| Date Deposited: | 11 Jun 2024 16:42 | |||||||||
| Last Modified: | 11 Jun 2024 16:42 | |||||||||
| Item ID: | 23548 | |||||||||
| Subjects: | Specific Sciences > Anthropology Specific Sciences > Archaeology Specific Sciences > Biology > Evolutionary Theory General Issues > Causation |
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| Date: | 2024 | |||||||||
| URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/23548 |
Available Versions of this Item
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Explaining Transitions in Human Behavioural Evolution: An Interventionist Perspective. (deposited 16 May 2024 10:53)
- Expanding the Causal Menu: An Interventionist Perspective on Explaining Human Behavioral Evolution. (deposited 11 Jun 2024 16:42) [Currently Displayed]
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