MaCitS 2009 – Mechanisms and Causality in the Sciences

mech

9-11 September 2009
Room KLT6, Keynes College, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
(N6 on this map)

Introduction

Scientific explanation of some phenomenon often proceeds by elucidating the mechanism responsible for the phenomenon. But what is a mechanism, precisely? Does the notion of mechanism vary across the sciences? Causal relationships are also often invoked to explain; how do causal explanations relate to mechanistic explanations? More fundamentally, how do mechanisms relate to causality?

The three-day conference Mechanisms and Causality in the Sciences will explore these and related questions. We welcome submissions from scientists, philosophers, statisticians and others on these themes. If you would like to present a paper at the conference, please submit an abstract by 1st May. If you would like your paper to be published in the accompanying volume, please submit the full paper by 1st July.

Invited speakers include: Carl Craver, Stuart Glennan, Stephen Mumford, Stathis Psillos.

Timetable

  • 1st May 2009: deadline for submission of titles and abstracts (of max 500 words) of papers for presentation at the conference
  • 1st June 2009: notification of acceptance of papers for presentation at the conference.
  • 15th June 2009: deadline for speaker confirmation of attendance.
  • 1st July 2009: deadline for submission of full papers for publication
  • 15th July 2009: deadline for receipt of early-bird registration to attend the conference.
    • Early-bird registration fees: 30 pounds sterling.
    • Register by filling in this form, and emailing it to us
    • You will be invoiced for payment, which may be made by credit card, debit card, cheque or bank transfer.
    • If registering after 15th July the fees are 60 pounds sterling. Please register by following the above procedure.
  • 9-11th September 2009: Conference.
  • 1st November 2009: notification of acceptance of papers for publication.
  • 1st December 2009: deadline for final version of papers accepted for publication.

Programme

The conference schedule is available here: acrobat
Abstracts are available here: acrobat

Slides

  • Casini: powerpoint
  • Clarke: powerpoint
  • Craver: powerpoint
  • Davies: powerpoint
  • deVreese: powerpoint
  • Howick: powerpoint
  • Kuhlmann: powerpoint
  • Kuorikoski: powerpoint
  • LaCaze: acrobat
  • Lemeire: powerpoint
  • Leuridan: powerpoint
  • Oftedal: powerpoint
  • Psillos: powerpoint
  • Reiss: acrobat
  • Reutlinger: powerpoint
  • Ruzzene: powerpoint
  • Sustar: powerpoint
  • VanEck: powerpoint
  • Weber: acrobat
  • Weinert: powerpoint
  • Drouet: powerpoint
  • FazekasKertesz: powerpoint
  • Flores: powerpoint
  • Glennan: powerpoint
  • Illari: powerpoint
  • Kampis: acrobat

Local Information

Accommodation

Rooms on campus can be booked by calling 01227 828000 or, for certain discounted rooms, filling in this form. There are also many hotels and guest houses within easy reach of the University: consult Tourist information or Around Canterbury for general tourist information.

Internet access

To get internet access at the university (wireless access is limited), apply at Computing Service Reception (the fee is 10 pounds). Visitors from UK universities may be able to connect via Janet roaming. There is also an internet cafe in Canterbury.

Organisation

This conference is organised by Phyllis McKay Illari and Jon Williamson as an activity of the Centre for Reasoning at the University of Kent. It is the fourth event in the Causality in the Sciences series of conferences, and is a component of the research project Mechanisms and Causality funded by the Leverhulme Trust.

Acknowledgements

We are very grateful to the Mind Association, the British Society for the Philosophy of Science, the Aristotelian Society and the School of European Culture and Languages, the Kent Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities and the Centre for Reasoning at the University of Kent for providing financial support.

The image at the top of the page of bacterial mechanisms of antibiotic resistance is © Kenneth Todar.

 P1050109  P1050115  P1050116  P1050122  P1050125
 P1050135  P1050139  P1050148  P1050151  P1050156
 P1050170  P1050171  P1050177  P1050180  P1050181
 P1050002  P1050005  P1050006  P1050007  P1050008
 P1050017  P1050026  P1050028  P1050031  P1050035
 P1050037  P1050040  P1050041  P1050043  P1050045
 P1050048  P1050049  P1050059  P1050061  P1050062
 P1050066  P1050074  P1050075  P1050076  P1050078
 P1050089  P1050090  P1050099  P1050106  P1050108