Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 08 – 08 The proposition that “correlation does not imply causation” is among the most frequently repeated warnings in empirical research. Properly understood, it states that an observed association is not by itself sufficient to establish a causal relation. The same association may arise from direct causation, reverse causation,Continue reading “Excursus 134 – On Correlation, Regression, and Causality: The Missing Counterfactual”
Tag Archives: sociology
Excursus 127 – On Multiple Levels of Explanation in Social Science
Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 08 – 02 Social phenomena have traditionally been explained through a variety of conceptual frameworks. Historians have emphasized historical contingency and institutional development; sociologists have focused on social structures and collective processes; psychologists have investigated cognition, motivation, and individual behavior; economists have analyzed incentives and resource allocation. Each ofContinue reading “Excursus 127 – On Multiple Levels of Explanation in Social Science”
Excursus 070 – On the Distinction Between Epistemological and Ontological Claims
Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 07 – 19 Discussions of scientific inquiry often emphasize that knowledge is acquired, interpreted, and communicated by human beings. This is an epistemological claim: all knowledge is produced within particular historical, linguistic, and social contexts. It concerns how human beings come to know the world. Such claims should notContinue reading “Excursus 070 – On the Distinction Between Epistemological and Ontological Claims”
