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Single Idea 11954
[filed under theme 26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 7. Eliminating causation
]
Full Idea
We should give up any causal analysis of powers, ..so we should try to analyse causation in terms of powers.
Gist of Idea
We should analyse causation in terms of powers
Source
George Molnar (Powers [1998], 8.5.3)
Book Ref
Molnar,George: 'Powers: a study in metaphysics', ed/tr. Mumford,Stephen [OUP 2003], p.141
A Reaction
It may be hard to explain what powers are, or identify them, if you can't say that they cause things to happen. I am torn between Molnar's view, and the view that causation is primitive.
The
19 ideas
with the same theme
[scepticism about the whole idea of causation]:
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3062
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There are no causes, because they are relative, and alike things can't cause one another
[Pyrrho, by Diog. Laertius]
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1896
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If there were no causes then everything would have been randomly produced by everything
[Sext.Empiricus]
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1897
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Knowing an effect results from a cause means knowing that the cause belongs with the effect, which is circular
[Sext.Empiricus]
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1898
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Cause can't exist before effect, or exist at the same time, so it doesn't exist
[Sext.Empiricus]
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8341
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Hume never even suggests that there is no such thing as causation
[Hume, by Strawson,G]
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12113
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The search for first or final causes is futile
[Comte]
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24140
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Cause and effect is a hypothesis, based on our supposed willing of actions
[Nietzsche]
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4542
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Science has taken the meaning out of causation; cause and effect are two equal sides of an equation
[Nietzsche]
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4396
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The law of causality is a source of confusion, and should be dropped from philosophy
[Russell]
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8376
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If causes are contiguous with events, only the last bit is relevant, or the event's timing is baffling
[Russell]
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14172
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Moments and points seem to imply other moments and points, but don't cause them
[Russell]
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14175
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We can drop 'cause', and just make inferences between facts
[Russell]
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11954
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We should analyse causation in terms of powers
[Molnar]
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20366
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A mind that could see cause and effect as a continuum would deny cause and effect
[Richardson]
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15126
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Maybe scientific causation is just generalisation about the patterns
[Hawthorne]
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20650
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The Uncertainty Principle implies that cause and effect can't be measured
[Watson]
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10387
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The notion of causation allows understanding of science, without appearing in equations
[Schaffer,J]
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10388
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Causation is utterly essential for numerous philosophical explanations
[Schaffer,J]
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14954
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Causation is found in the special sciences, but may have no role in fundamental physics
[Ladyman/Ross]
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