Causal attribution and Mill's Methods of Experimental Inquiry: Past, present and prospect

Abstract

J. S. Mill proposed a set of Methods of Experimental Inquiry that were intended to guide causal inference under every conceivable set of circumstances in which experiments or observations could be carried out. The conceptual and historical relationship between these Methods and modern models of causal attribution is investigated. Mill's work retains contemporary relevance because his insights show how research can progress into presently uncharted waters. Following Mill, it is proposed that people use many different methods of causal attribution, the nature of which remains to be ascertained, and that the conditions that affect choice of method include the need to eliminate alternative causal candidates, whether single or multiple events are to be explained, the use of intervention or experiment as opposed to mere observation, and practical concerns.

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