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Full Idea
Causal laws are consequences of those propositions which we should take as axioms if we knew everything and organized it as simply as possible in a deductive system.
Gist of Idea
Causal laws result from the simplest axioms of a complete deductive system
Source
Frank P. Ramsey (Law and Causality [1928], §B)
Book Ref
Ramsey,Frank: 'Philosophical Papers', ed/tr. Mellor,D.H. [CUP 1990], p.150
A Reaction
Cf. Idea 9418.
Related Idea
Idea 9418 All knowledge needs systematizing, and the axioms would be the laws of nature [Ramsey]
| 10993 | Ramsey's Test: believe the consequent if you believe the antecedent [Ramsey, by Read] |
| 6894 | Mental terms can be replaced in a sentence by a variable and an existential quantifier [Ramsey] |
| 9418 | All knowledge needs systematizing, and the axioms would be the laws of nature [Ramsey] |
| 9420 | Causal laws result from the simplest axioms of a complete deductive system [Ramsey] |
| 14279 | Asking 'If p, will q?' when p is uncertain, then first add p hypothetically to your knowledge [Ramsey] |