Causally construing discrimination

Causal models are widely used in a variety of fields to identify underlying causes and mechanisms of discrimination. Causal methodologies offer structured methods for evaluating claims of injustice by revealing causal links between protected attributes and negative outcomes. The construction of these models, however, hinges on making substantive assumptions about how to conceptualise and measure discrimination, and relatedly how to operationalise protected categories like gender or race - decisions which are deeply influenced by background political and philosophical assumptions about the structure of our social world. My project seeks to unite work in political and legal philosophy with work on causal inference methodologies to probe the theoretical grounding of methodological decisions regarding the modelling of injustice, and to develop some practical considerations.