Single Idea 7857

[catalogued under 26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 8. Particular Causation / b. Causal relata]

Full Idea

One view of causes is that they are facts, or instantiations of properties (maybe by particulars, making them 'Kim-events'); the alternative view is that causes themselves are basic particulars ('Davidson-events').

Gist of Idea

Causes are instantiations of properties by particulars, or they are themselves basic particulars

Source

David Papineau (Thinking about Consciousness [2002], 1.3)

Book Reference

Papineau,David: 'Thinking about Consciousness' [OUP 2004], p.19


A Reaction

Like Papineau, I incline to the Kim view. It is too easy for philosophers to treat key ideas as unanalysable axioms of thought. An event typically has components and features. It is a contingent matter whether there are any events.