The why of things : causality in science, medicine, and life / Peter V. Rabins.

New York : Columbia University Press, [2013]

x, 278 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Historical overview: the four approaches to causality -- The three-facet model: an overview -- The answer is either "no" or "yes": causality as a categorical concept -- Probabilities, odds, and risks: predispositions and provocations as causes -- A third model of causality: the emergent, nonlinear approach -- Empirical: the physical sciences -- Empirical: the biological sciences -- Empirical: epidemiology -- Narrative truth: the empathic method -- Cause in the ecclesiastic tradition -- Seeking the why of things: the model applied.

Includes bibliographical references and index.