Summary

Anscombe's central thesis is that the common philosophical notion of "causation" as a relation between events, understood as a universal, uniform connection, is mistaken and should be abandoned. She argues that our understanding of causality is rooted in our practical ability to *cause* things to happen, and this practical sense is fundamentally different from a detached, theoretical concept of causal necessity. The book re-examines everyday uses of causal language and suggests that understanding agency and intention is crucial for grasping what we mean by "cause."

Anscombe distinguishes between different senses of "cause," emphasizing that "cause" is not a single concept but a family of related ideas. She introduces the idea of "making something happen" and the role of human actions in bringing about events. A reader takes away a skepticism towards reductive, mechanistic accounts of causality and a richer appreciation for the role of human agency and intentionality in our understanding of cause and effect.

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Key concepts

Causal necessity — The idea that one event *must* follow another, a concept Anscombe critiques.
Agency — The capacity of individuals to act independently and make their own free choices, central to Anscombe's understanding of causing.
Intention — The mental state of having a purpose or aim, which Anscombe links to the concept of causation.
"Making happen" — Anscombe's proposed way of understanding causality through active verbs and human accomplishment.