The Misguided Search for Causation in Empirical Legal Studies

9 Pages Posted: 6 Jul 2007 Last revised: 24 Nov 2014

See all articles by F. E. Guerra-Pujol

F. E. Guerra-Pujol

Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico; University of Central Florida

Date Written: July 5, 2007

Abstract

This paper is about one aspect common to most of the methodologies used in empirical legal research: the search for causation. Although it is commonly stated that the purpose of social science research is to discover what causes what, the author questions this assumption. Building on the work of Ronald Coase and Thomas Schelling, the author presents an alternative theory of causation - "reciprocal causation" - and discusses some implications of the Coase-Schelling approach to human interactions for empirical legal research.

Keywords: behavorial strategy, reciprocal causation, Coase, Schelling

JEL Classification: B41, K00

Suggested Citation

Guerra-Pujol, F. E., The Misguided Search for Causation in Empirical Legal Studies (July 5, 2007). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=998579 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.998579

F. E. Guerra-Pujol (Contact Author)

Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico ( email )

University of Central Florida ( email )

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