The concept of cause plays a central role in explaining, controlling, and assigning responsibility for events. Despite the concept’s long history in philosophy, there is still no clear consensus on whether strict causal relationships even exist. This new volume follows the proven format of the Basic Questions in Philosophy series:After a discussion of the concept's history, the author offershis ownapproach with a view tocontemporary debates, linking current perspectives in philosophy with modern theories in the natural sciences.