Abstract

There are two kinds of accounts (logic-based and causal) of Simpson's paradox. one from philosopher Bandyoapdhyay, the other from computer scientist Judea Pearl. Bandyoapdhyay tried to show that there are three questions associated with Simpson's paradox that need adequate analysis: (i) Why is SP paradoxical? (ii) What conditions generate SP? (iii) How to proceed when confronted with SP? Developing a logic-based account of SP, he tried to argue that there are no causal factors at play in answering questions (i) and (ii) . Causality enters only in the third question. Comparing with these two accounts, I prove that Bandyoapdhyay's criticism of Pearl is not correct, his account of SP also faces many problems.

Key Words

Do-calculus; Back-door criterion; Exchangeability; Collapsibility; Causality

Citation: Wu, X. 'Simpson's Paradox: Clash of Logic-based Account and Causal Account' [J]. Journal of Dialectics of Nature, 2018, 40(5): 53-59.

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