Actual causation using CP-logic - a podcast by MCMP Team

Sander Beckers (Leuven) gives a talk at the MCMP Colloquium (6 November, 2013) titled "Actual causation using CP-logic". Abstract: Since Pearl’s seminal work on providing a formal language for causality, the subject has garnered a lot of interest among philosophers and researchers in artificial intelligence alike. One of the most debated topics in this context regards the notion of actual causation, or token causation, which concerns itself with specific - as opposed to general - causal claims. The search for a proper formal definition of actual causation has evolved into a controversial debate, that is pervaded with ambiguities and confusion. One of the goals of our research is to provide a clear way for comparing competing definitions, by translating the main existing approaches into one formal paradigm, namely CP-logic (Causal Probabilistic logic). Another goal we have is to relate the abstract philosophical discussion to practical applications of causal reasoning. In this talk we shall do so by focusing on the definition(s) offered by Ned Hall (2004, 2007). We will show how his ideas can be expressed in the CP-logic framework, and how this can be seen as an improvement. Further, we shall contrast his definition with our own.

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