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Single Idea 10378

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

Full Idea

A problem case for the process view of causation is 'misconnection'. A process may be connected to an effect, without being causal, as when someone watches an act of vandalism in dismay.

Gist of Idea

A causal process needs to be connected to the effect in the right way

Source

Jonathan Schaffer (The Metaphysics of Causation [2007], 2.1.1)

Book Ref

'Stanford Online Encyclopaedia of Philosophy', ed/tr. Stanford University [plato.stanford.edu], p.20

A Reaction

This is a better objection to the process view than Idea 10377. If I push a window with increasing force until it breaks, the process is continuous, but it suddenly becomes a cause.

Related Idea

Idea 10377 Causation may not be a process, if a crucial part of the process is 'disconnected' [Schaffer,J]

The 27 ideas from 'The Metaphysics of Causation'

10359 In causation there are three problems of relata, and three metaphysical problems [Schaffer,J]
10361 Events are fairly course-grained (just saying 'hello'), unlike facts (like saying 'hello' loudly) [Schaffer,J]
10360 Causal relata are events - or facts, features, tropes, states, situations or aspects [Schaffer,J]
10362 One may defend three or four causal relata, as in 'c causes e rather than e*' [Schaffer,J]
10367 There is only one fact - the True [Schaffer,J]
10366 Causation transcends nature, because absences can cause things [Schaffer,J]
10372 Causation may not be transitive; the last event may follow from the first, but not be caused by it [Schaffer,J]
10368 If causal relata must be in nature and fine-grained, neither facts nor events will do [Schaffer,J]
10374 There are at least ten theories about causal connections [Schaffer,J]
10373 Logical form can't dictate metaphysics, as it may propose an undesirable property [Schaffer,J]
10375 At least four rivals have challenged the view that causal direction is time direction [Schaffer,J]
10376 The actual cause may make an event less likely than a possible more effective cause [Schaffer,J]
10377 Causation may not be a process, if a crucial part of the process is 'disconnected' [Schaffer,J]
10378 A causal process needs to be connected to the effect in the right way [Schaffer,J]
10382 Causation can't be a process, because a process needs causation as a primitive [Schaffer,J]
10383 The relata of causation (such as events) need properties as explanation, which need causation! [Schaffer,J]
10380 Causation is primitive; it is too intractable and central to be reduced; all explanations require it [Schaffer,J]
10385 If causation is just observables, or part of common sense, or vacuous, it can't be primitive [Schaffer,J]
10387 The notion of causation allows understanding of science, without appearing in equations [Schaffer,J]
10388 Causation is utterly essential for numerous philosophical explanations [Schaffer,J]
10384 If two different causes are possible in one set of circumstances, causation is primitive [Schaffer,J]
10386 If causation is primitive, it can be experienced in ourselves, or inferred as best explanation [Schaffer,J]
10381 All four probability versions of causation may need causation to be primitive [Schaffer,J]
10389 Causal order must be temporal, or else causes could be blocked, and time couldn't be explained [Schaffer,J]
10390 Causal order is not temporal, because of time travel, and simultanous, joint or backward causes [Schaffer,J]
10393 Our selection of 'the' cause is very predictable, so must have a basis [Schaffer,J]
10394 Selecting 'the' cause must have a basis; there is no causation without such a selection [Schaffer,J]