@techreport{Kluve2001Role,
abstract = {Causal inference in the empirical sciences is based on counterfactuals. This paper presents
the counterfactual account of causation in terms of Lewis's possible-world semantics, and
reformulates the statistical potential outcome framework and its underlying assumptions
using counterfactual conditionals. I discuss varieties of causally meaningful counterfactuals
for the case of a finite number of treatments, and illustrate these using a simple settheoretical
framework. The paper proceeds to examine proximity relations between possible
worlds, and discusses implications for empirical practice.},
author = {Jochen Kluve},
copyright = {http://www.econstor.eu/dspace/Nutzungsbedingungen},
keywords = {B30; C19; Z00; 330; Causation; counterfactuals; possible worlds; treatment effect; Empirische Methode; Kausalanalyse; Theorie; Kontrafaktische Situation; treatment effect},
language = {eng},
number = {354},
title = {On the Role of Counterfactuals in Inferring Causal Effects of Treatments},
type = {IZA Discussion paper series},
url = {http://hdl.handle.net/10419/21213},
year = {2001}
}
