Sociological Theory· 2026Q1
What Counts as a Stronger Cause? Six Meanings of Causal Importance in the Social Sciences
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- 2026year
Short summary
This paper identifies six distinct meanings of 'causal strength' in social science—associational, contributional, difference-making, replacement, stability, and specificity—which often lead to conflicting conclusions about which cause is more important.
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Key points
- Social science disputes often hinge on the relative importance of causes, not just whether a cause exists.
- Six distinct meanings of causal strength are identified: associational, contributional, difference-making, replacement, stability, and specificity.
- These different meanings can lead to conflicting conclusions about which cause is stronger.
- Each meaning is associated with a specific theory of causation, methodology, and vocabulary.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Philosophers have analyzed the meaning of binary causal statements (“A causes B”), yet many disputes in the social sciences concern a different question: the relative weight of causes, or what it means to claim that “A is more important than B in bringing about C.” This article argues that the ambiguity behind this claim underlies many stable disagreements between different schools of social scientists. Building on the philosophy of the social sciences and key examples from social-science practice, I distinguish six distinct meanings of causal strength: associational, contributional, difference-making, replacement, stability, and specificity. These meanings frequently yield conflicting verdicts about which cause is stronger. Moreover, each meaning is associated with a theory of causation, a family of methods, a characteristic vocabulary, and a metaphorical register. The article concludes with a plea for “causal literacy”: Making these meanings explicit will not dissolve all disagreement, but it may help separate true empirical from verbal disputes.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Sociological Theory, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: History and Philosophy of Science
History and Philosophy of ScienceArts and Humanities