對於因果關係的哲學研究，最重要的歷史人物自然是修姆。他否認因果必然性，提倡所謂的「規律論」，將因果關係視為規律關係（「經常伴隨」的關係）。當代英美哲學界許多哲學家都承繼了修姆這個傳統，例如，一個非常有名的關於「因果」概念的分析是Mackie的INUS分析。當然，也有哲學家試圖提出其它關於因果關係的看法，主張因果必然性是真實的，例如E.H. Madden。另外一個走向涉及所謂「機率因果關係」這個概念，以W.C. Salmon為首要人物。本門課將介紹並討論關於因果關係以及「因果」概念的幾套理論。
In the philosophical studies of causality, it is needless to say that the most important historic figure is Hume. He denies the reality of causal necessity and proposes instead the regularity analysis of causality. Many contemporary Anglo-American philosophers inherit this Humean tradition. One famous Humean analysis in contemporary philosophy is Mackie's INUS analysis. Nonetheless, there have been attempts to go otherwise. E.g., E.H. Madden proposes that causality is metaphysically real. Another trend concerns the idea of "probabilistic causality", the major advocate being Wesley Salmon. We will in this course examine several theories of causality for a better understanding of the nature of causality.