The central theme of this book is causes, explanations, and mechanisms—a philosophical analysis of the secret connection. Since the time of Hume’s severe critique of causal explanations, many philosophers have proposed various objections with the intent of showing that causal notions are just examples of folk concepts that cannot play a legitimate role within the context of mature scientific theories. Today, among other factors, the NMP’s focus on the concept of causation and on the core tenets of causal explanation clearly evidences that we are far beyond such a radical criticism. In the mainstream of the philosophical debate on causation, the question is not whether we should use or abandon the concept of causation but rather how and in what contexts we should use it properly to “unravel” the secret connection between causal relata. The current debate on causation and causal explanation shows that one should avoid the pitfalls of austere separation between the conceptual (philosophical) and empirical (scientifically driven) analyses of causation.