Causation in Agent-Based Computational Social Science

David Anzola

Research output: Chapter in Book/ReportChapter (peer-reviewed)peer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Even though causation is often considered a constitutive aspect of scientific explanation, agent-based computational social science, as an emergent disciplinary field, has systematically neglected the question of whether explanation using agent-based models is causal. Rather than discussing the reasons for this neglect, the article builds on the assumption that, since explanation in the field is already heavily permeated by causal reasoning and language, the articulation of a causal theory of explanation would help standardisation. With this goal in mind, the text briefly explores four candidate accounts of causation on which a causal theory of explanation in agent-based computational social science could be grounded: agent causation, algorithmic causation, interventionist causation and causal mechanisms. It suggests that, while the first two accounts are intuitively appealing, for they seem to stress the most important methodological aspects of agent-based modelling, a more robust theory of causal explanation could be developed if the field focuses, instead, on causal mechanisms and interventions.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationAdvances in Social Simulation - Looking in the Mirror, 2018
EditorsHarko Verhagen, Melania Borit, Giangiacomo Bravo, Nanda Wijermans
Place of PublicationSuiza
PublisherSpringer
Chapter5
Pages47-62
Number of pages16
Volume1
Edition1
ISBN (Electronic)978-3-030-34129-9
ISBN (Print)9783030341268
DOIs
StatePublished - 2020
Event14th Social Simulation Conference, 2018 - Stockholm, Sweden
Duration: Aug 20 2018Aug 24 2018

Publication series

NameSpringer Proceedings in Complexity
ISSN (Print)2213-8684
ISSN (Electronic)2213-8692

Conference

Conference14th Social Simulation Conference, 2018
Country/TerritorySweden
CityStockholm
Period8/20/188/24/18

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Applied Mathematics
  • Modeling and Simulation
  • Computer Science Applications

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