Counterfactual Theories of Causation

Counterfactual theories of causation explore how events relate to one another by asking "what if" questions. In this context, they analyze how changing one factor might alter the outcome. For example, if we consider whether smoking causes lung cancer, we can ask, "If this person hadn't smoked, would they still have developed lung cancer?" If the answer is no, then smoking can be seen as a cause of the cancer. This approach helps scientists understand causal relationships by assessing potential changes and their effects on outcomes, clarifying how and why certain events happen in the natural world.