Citation

Daly M. Behav. Processes 2014; 117: 70-73.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Department of Anthropology, University of Missouri. Electronic address: daly@mcmaster.ca.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.beproc.2014.07.002

PMID

25048269

Abstract

Jerry Hogan has forcefully maintained that cause and function are distinct questions, and that attempts to integrate them are conceptually muddled. I dissent from his view, maintaining that causal analysis is conducted in the shadow of premises about function, and that bringing functional ideas out of the shadows facilitates the generation of fruitful causal hypotheses. This is not to suggest, however, that cause-function muddles are non-existent; I agree with Hogan that they are both common and mischievous.

Language: en