Explanation in Action Theory and Historiography

<p>Is the appropriate form of human action explanation causal or rather teleological? While this is a central question in analytic philosophy of action, it also has implications for questions about the differences between methods of explanation in the sciences on the one hand and in the humanities and the social sciences on the other. Additionally, this question bears on the problem of the appropriate form of explanations of past human actions, and therefore it is prominently discussed by analytic philosophers of historiography. This volume brings together causalists and anti-causalists to address enduring philosophical questions at the heart of this debate, as well as their implications for the practice of historiography. Part I considers the quarrel between causalism and anti-causalism in recent developments in the philosophy of action. Part II presents papers by causalists and anti-causalists that are more narrowly focused on the philosophy of historiography.</p> <p>1. Introduction </p><p>Gunnar Schumann</p><p>Part I: Causal vs. Teleological Explanation of Action</p><p>2. Causalism: On Action Explanation and Causal Deviance</p><p>Alfred Mele</p><p>3. Why and How? Teleological and Causal Concepts in Action Explanation</p><p>George F. Schueler</p><p>4. Rationalizing Principles and Causal Explanation</p><p>Guido Löhrer and Scott R. Sehon</p><p>5. On an Imaginary Dialogue Between a Causalist and an Anti-causalist </p><p>Giuseppina D’Oro</p><p>6. Reasons, Causes, Desires, and Dispositions</p><p>Severin Schroeder</p><p>7. Objectivism and Causalism about Reasons for Action</p><p>Hans-Johann Glock and Eva Schmidt</p><p>8. Are Reasons Like Shampoo?</p><p>Constanine Sandis</p><p>Part II: Causal vs. Teleological Explanation in Historiography</p><p>9. Counterfactual Causality and Historical Explanations</p><p>Doris Gerber</p><p>10. Beyond Causalism and Acausalism</p><p>Harold Kincaid</p><p>11. Two Methods in History</p><p>Thomas Keutner</p><p>12. An Anti-causal Theory of Action as Basis for Historical Explanations. A Sketch</p><p>Gunnar Schumann</p><p>13. Meanings and Mechanisms: An Actor-centered Approach to Historical Explanation</p><p>Daniel Little</p><p>14. The Origins of Historiographic Causation</p><p>Aviezer Tucker</p>