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Single Idea 8369

[filed under theme 26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 8. Particular Causation / c. Conditions of causation ]

Full Idea

There are four causal connections: an event is sufficient for another if it is its cause; an event is necessary for another if it is a condition for it; it is necessitated by another if it is an effect; it is contingent upon another if it is a resultant.

Gist of Idea

Causes are either sufficient, or necessary, or necessitated, or contingent upon

Source

Curt Ducasse (Nature and Observability of Causal Relations [1926], §2)

Book Ref

'Causation', ed/tr. Sosa,E. /Tooley,M. [OUP 1993], p.126


A Reaction

An event could be a condition for another without being necessary. He seems to have missed the indispensable aspect of a necessary condition.


The 8 ideas from 'Nature and Observability of Causal Relations'

Causation is defined in terms of a single sequence, and constant conjunction is no part of it [Ducasse]
A correct definition is what can be substituted without loss of meaning [Ducasse]
Causes are either sufficient, or necessary, or necessitated, or contingent upon [Ducasse]
A cause is a change which occurs close to the effect and just before it [Ducasse]
Recurrence is only relevant to the meaning of law, not to the meaning of cause [Ducasse]
When a brick and a canary-song hit a window, we ignore the canary if we are interested in the breakage [Ducasse]
We see what is in common between causes to assign names to them, not to perceive them [Ducasse]
We are interested in generalising about causes and effects purely for practical purposes [Ducasse]