Varieties of causal explanation in medical contexts

Far from being the sole mode of explaining diseases, explanation in terms of – mostly probabilistic – causes has prompted wide and lively debate. Focusing on causal explanations means delving deeper into conceptions of causation, modelling and intervention strategies, which in turn present a range of important issues for both research and clinical contexts. The current volume has two purposes. The author, Raffaella Campaner, first emphasizes the core features of, differences within, and interactions between a range of theories of explanation: mechanical and neo-mechanical approaches on the one hand, and the manipulationist approach on the other, examining their applicability in medicine. Secondly, she advocates a form of pluralism grounded in a de¬tailed analysis of specific features of explanatory contexts in the health sciences, with particular focus on the study of cancer and mental disorders.