Norms and customs: causally important or causally impotent?

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Philosophy of Social Science
• Causality in Social Behavior

Background:

• Norms and customs are commonly cited as causes of behavior in social sciences.
• The philosophical underpinnings of concepts like 'norms' are often overlooked.
• Existing frameworks may rely on imprecise or problematic causal explanations.

Observation:

• This article examines the concept of norms and customs as causal agents.
• It questions whether 'norms' refer to philosophically sound properties.
• The analysis extends to whether norms can exert causal influence, even if philosophically sound.

Findings:

• Norms and customs, as commonly understood, cannot truly cause behavior.
• Even if norms are considered valid properties, they lack causal efficacy.
• The concept of norms may refer to disjunctive properties, which are philosophically contentious.

Implications:

• Social sciences should reconsider attributing causal power to norms and customs.
• A re-evaluation of causal mechanisms in social behavior is necessary.
• The findings suggest a need for more rigorous conceptualization of social phenomena.