5. Note that Alexander's view of causation, discussed explicitly in Vol. I (Book II, Chapter VI, sect. B), is probably reductionistic, though the discussion is quite obscure.
He even indulges in this disputation on efficient causation in a discussion of the question of whether there could be contingency in the world if—(in his view) contrary to modal fact God were necessitated to create the world as it is.
This interacts with discussions of the role of causation in seeing (for discussion of the role of causation in perception, see entry on the causation and perception).
The discussion of causation in epidemiology is based on a number of criteria/models, for example, the nine criteria of causation 21, sufficient/component model 22 and the counterfactual model 23.
For example, Suppes offers an extended discussion of causation in the context of psychological models of learning.
In Nāgārjuna's discussion of causation we usually find him investigating a set of alternative ways in which cause and effect could be related.
An important point we must not lose sight of in the context of the discussion of causation is that while showing that objects stand in causal relations is sufficient for showing that they are empty of svabhāva in some way (since they do not exist independently of one another), this on its own would not be sufficient support for Nāgārjuna's thesis of universal emptiness.
The preceding discussion has discussed some of the main topics Nāgārjuna addresses in order to refute their existence by svabhāva: causation, change, the self, knowledge, language, and truth.
Formal treatments of the foundations of sciences have avoided discussions of causation and spoken only of functional relations among variables.
Subsequent discussions of causation must confront the challenges Hume poses for traditional, more metaphysical, ways of looking at our idea of causation.
