Terry Mc Donough wrote, > The distinction is not between more and less important causes but > between causes which are determinant and those which are contingent. This is certainly an important distinction. And, it is one that has long been part of the Marxian approach (e.g., tendencies and contingent counter-tendencies). Yet it raises the important question: how do you determine which are the determinant causes? This is particularly true if the contingent causes produce a lot of "noise" in the "historical record." Is the determinant cause identified by inductive means or by deductive means? Or, is determinant cause just another word for essence? In a paper I wrote many years ago, I suggested that tendencies (or, the "last instance" or determinant causes) can be conceived of as "expected values" of historical processes (although because of contingent factors the actual outcome might be different from the expected value.) Eric .. Eric Nilsson Department of Economics California State University San Bernardino, CA 92407 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
