Schumann - Explanation in Action Theory and Historiography : Causal and Teleological Approaches

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. 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. presents chapters by causalists and anti-causalists that are more narrowly focused on the philosophy of historiography.

Gunnar Schumann is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at FernUniversitt in Hagen, Germany.

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Explanation in Action Theory and Historiography

Causal and Teleological Approaches

Edited by Gunnar Schumann

For more information about this series, please visit: www.routledge.com/Routledge-Studies-in-Contemporary-Philosophy/book-series/SE0720

Edited by Gunnar Schumann

First published 2019

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Schumann, Gunnar, editor.

Title: Explanation in action theory and historiography : causal and teleological approaches / edited by Gunnar Schumann.

Description: 1 [edition]. | New York : Taylor & Francis, 2019. | Series: Routledge studies in contemporary philosophy ; 121 | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019012775 | ISBN 9781138584402 (hardback)

Subjects: LCSH: Explanation. | Causation. | Teleology. | Action theory. | Historiography.

Classification: LCC BD237 .E864 2019 | DDC 128/.4dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019012775

ISBN: 978-1-138-58440-2 (hbk)

ISBN: 978-0-429-50604-8 (ebk)

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