Single Idea 10379

[catalogued under 26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 4. Naturalised causation]

Full Idea

Fair, who originated the energy flow view of causation, moved to a view that understands connection in terms of counterfactuals about energy flow.

Gist of Idea

Fair shifted his view to talk of counterfactuals about energy flow

Source

report of David Fair (Causation and the Flow of Energy [1979]) by Jonathan Schaffer - The Metaphysics of Causation 2.1.2

Book Reference

'Stanford Online Encyclopaedia of Philosophy', ed/tr. Stanford University [plato.stanford.edu], p.21


A Reaction

David Fair was a pupil of David Lewis, the king of the counterfactual view. To me that sounds like a disappointing move, but it is hard to think that a mere flow of energy through space would amount to causation. Cause must work back from an effect.