Please help by reflecting on Causation (as coined by Sarasvathy) and Causal Reasoning. How the two concepts differ or relate? many thanks
Causation is just a process in the world. Causal reasoning or causal explanation is a mental activity that makes use of the concept of causation e.g. by appealing to generalizations or assumed laws that appeal to assumed or observed causal relationships. If all people suddenly disappeared, causation would still exist, but there would be no causal reasoning or causal explanation.
Sarasvathy argues that causal reasoning is not suitable for reasoning about entrepreneurial processes, which are inherently characterized by uncertainties and risks. The idea behind that is that causal processes are taken to be deterministic, whereas entrepreneurial processes are probabilistic.
Thank you Karl Pfeifer . Your explanation is really helpful.
Regards
I think that Sarasvathy's reasoning is semi-specious and too limited. Causation, the process, is an expression of causality, a metalogical principle of being. So, causal reasoning is actually logical thinking that causes results. Likewise, causal explanation causes results. Essentially, the types of results are irrelevant to the actuality of the principle, the concept, and the nature/mechanics of causal processes.
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