Research on the Structure of Legal Causation by Applying Interventionist Accounts

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K01112
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 05010:Legal theory and history-related
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: YAMAMOTO Nobuaki 大阪大学, 社会技術共創研究センター, 特任助教(常勤) (40883210)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 法的因果関係 / 事実的因果関係 / 因果関係 / 介入主義 / 反事実条件文 / 条件関係

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research attempts to clarify the structure of legal causation by applying Interventionist Accounts. As a result, it was found that Interventionist Accounts, which is the prevailing view of causal theory in current philosophy, especially the concept of normality introduced by J. Halpern's theory, an influential theory of singular causation, was modified to the concept of law-abiding to establish a theoretical foundation, and that it was possible to present its structure in cases where it has been challenging to determine whether legal causation exists in the conventional theory of legal causation. During this research, it also became clear that it is necessary to clarify the theoretical relationship between legal causation and legal responsibility to demonstrate the practical significance of the legal causation theory with the application of Interventionist Accounts.

Free Research Field

法理学・法哲学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の成果がもつ学術的意義は、第一に決定論的事例と非決定論的事例の双方において機能する法的因果関係論の理論的基盤を構築できたこと、第二に現在の哲学における因果関係論の通説的見解である介入主義についてこれまで十分に検討されることがなかった法との接続可能性を開拓したことである。
また、社会的意義は、従来の法的因果関係論では判断が困難であった非決定論的事例において機能する法的因果関係論の理論的基盤の構築により、公害や先端科学技術に関する訴訟における法的因果関係の有無をより精緻に判断できる可能性を示したことである。