Single Idea 8394

[catalogued under 26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 9. General Causation / b. Nomological causation]

Full Idea

The most serious objection to any account of causation in terms of nomological relations alone is that it can't provide any account of the direction of causation.

Clarification

'Nomological' means concerned with laws

Gist of Idea

Explaining causation in terms of laws can't explain the direction of causation

Source

Michael Tooley (Causation and Supervenience [2003], 5.1)

Book Reference

'The Oxford Handbook of Metaphysics', ed/tr. Loux,M /Zimmerman,D [OUP 2005], p.407


A Reaction

Cf. Idea 8393. I am not convinced that there could be an 'account' of the direction of causation, so I am inclined to take it as given. If we take 'powers' (active properties) as basic, they would have a direction built into them.

Related Idea

Idea 8393 We can only reduce the direction of causation to the direction of time if we are realist about the latter [Tooley]