Causality, the domain of thought in which we assign causes and effects in the world, is a an unavoidable morass  – hence its close connection to another of our “gateway concepts,” complexity. Inside the Liberal Arts devotes a chapter to each. But like complexity, causality is a manageable morass, in which we ultimately set the terms and frame the questions. If we follow the contours of nature in doing so, it’s because we have no choice: that’s what we’re dealing with here. And if  answers to these questions are elusive, at least we can understand why they elude us.