Philosopher to address causal logic of the law in ethics talk

Contact: Mark Schwerin

KALAMAZOO—A Rutgers University expert will examine the causal thinking infusing the law when he addresses a local audience in March at Western Michigan University.

Dr. Jonathan Schaffer, professor of philosophy, will speak at noon Friday, March 15, in Room 1115 of Moore Hall. His free, public presentation is titled "Apt Causal Models for the Law" and is part of the WMU Center for the Study of Ethics in Society's spring season.

Schaffer will discuss how the law employs the intuitive conception of causation and how various legal theorists have used a theoretical framework to better understand its application. Thinking of legal doctrine through the lens of causal models reveals new problems, new suggestions and new ideas.

Prior to joining the Rutgers University faculty, Schaffer held posts at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, the Australian National University and the Arche Research Center. His research in metaphysics, epistemology and the philosophy of science includes work on causation, chance, ontology and fundamentality.

Schaffer's presentation is co-sponsored by the WMU Department of Philosophy. Visit wmich.edu/ethics for more information.