more on this theme | more from this thinker
Full Idea
Kim gives a range of examples of counterfactual dependence without causation, as: 'if yesterday wasn't Monday, today wouldn't be Tuesday', and 'if my sister had not given birth, I would not be an uncle'.
Gist of Idea
Many counterfactual truths do not imply causation ('if yesterday wasn't Monday, it isn't Tuesday')
Source
report of Jaegwon Kim (Causes and Counterfactuals [1973]) by Stathis Psillos - Causation and Explanation §3.3
Book Ref
Psillos,Stathis: 'Causation and Explanation' [Acumen 2002], p.100
A Reaction
This is aimed at David Lewis. The objection seems like commonsense. "If you blink, the cat gets it". Causal claims involve counterfactuals, but they are not definitive of what causation is.
4781 | Many counterfactual truths do not imply causation ('if yesterday wasn't Monday, it isn't Tuesday') [Kim, by Psillos] |
8396 | Many counterfactuals have nothing to do with causation [Kim, by Tooley] |
8429 | Counterfactuals can express four other relations between events, apart from causation [Kim] |
8428 | Causation is not the only dependency relation expressed by counterfactuals [Kim] |
8430 | Causal statements are used to explain, to predict, to control, to attribute responsibility, and in theories [Kim] |