Chapter 15 Closure of Constraints and the Individuation of Causal Systems in Biology

Abstract

The Routledge Handbook of Causality and Causal Methods adopts a pluralistic, interdisciplinary approach to causality. It formulates distinct questions and problems of causality as they arise across scientific and policy fields. Exploring, in a comparative way, how these questions and problems are addressed in different areas, the Handbook fosters dialogue and exchange. It emphasizes the role of the researchers and the normative considerations that arise in the development of methodological and empirical approaches. The Handbook includes authors from all over the world and with many different disciplinary backgrounds, and its 50 chapters appear in print here for the first time. The chapters are organized into the following seven parts: Causal Pluralism from Theory to Practice Causal Theory and the Role of Researchers Features of Causal Systems Causal Methods, Experimentation and Observation Measurement and Data Causality, Knowledge, and Action Causal Theory across Disciplinary Borders Essential reading for scholars interested in an interdisciplinary approach to causality and causal methods, the volume is also a valuable resource for advanced undergraduates as well as for graduate students interested in delving into the rich field of causality.