Inaug.-dis.--Strassburg.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1972. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

This thesis is a critical examination of three influential and interrelated aspects of Donald Davidson’s philosophy of action.. The first issue that is considered is Davidson’s account of the logical form of action—sentences. After assessing the argument in support of Davidson’s account, and suggesting certain amendments to it, I show how this modified version of Davidson’s account can be extended to provide for more complicated types of action—sentences. The second issue that is considered is Davidson’s views concerning the individuation of actions; in particular, I examine Davidson’s theory concerning the ontological implications of those sentences that assert that an agent did something by means of doing something else. The conclusion that I seek to establish in this case is essentially negative—that Davidson’s theory is false. The third issue that is considered is Davidson’s theory concerning the logical implications of those sentences that assert that an agent did something as a means of doing something else, which is also commonly known as the causal theory of action. Here I argue against Davidson’s view by providing an alternative, and more satisfying response to the theoretical challenge that generates the causal theory. Subsequent to this I attempt to explain what motivates Davidson’s commitment to the causal theory. / Arts, Faculty of / Philosophy, Department of / Graduate

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Over the past few decades analyses of causation have proliferated in almost immeasurable abundance, and with two things in common; firstly, they make much of counterfactual dependence, and secondly, none of them successfully handle all the pre-emption cases. In this thesis, I fore-mostly investigate David Lewis’ promising counterfactual analyses of causation (along with many others), and provide an extensive examination of pre-emption cases. I also offer my own counterfactual analysis of causation, which I argue can handle the problematic pre-emption cases, and therein succeed where so many other prominent analyses of causation have failed. I then conclude with some morals for the continuing debate.

Causation and foreseeability in private law The issue of this thesis is the causation and foreseeability in private law. The aim of this diploma thesis is to provide comprehensive view of both presented legal institutes and their significance in law. This thesis especially focuses on detailed analysis of procedure of proving the causation and introduces the most significant issues arising from this proceeding. Introduction is aimed at the function and especially at detailed definition of the term causality not only in law, but also in the area of natural sciences. It defines the term foreseeability in the same way. Moreover, it defines conditions that considerably affect foreseeability. Consequently, it aims to provide the relation between foreseeability and causation. This thesis also deals with the significance of causation from the perspective of legal liability. In this context, it mentions the issue of causally relevant conditions. On this basis, this paper tends to its core which consists of detailed analysis of methods of proving the factual causation. Universally accepted method of proving factual causation is considered the 'conditio sine qua non' test. However, this test is found to be ineffective in cases of causal uncertainty. Therefore there are more effective instruments for equitable...

published_or_final_version / abstract / Buddhist Studies / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy