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Full Idea
Although not all explanations are causal, anything which can be explained in any way can be explained causally.
Gist of Idea
Not all explanations are causal, but if a thing can be explained at all, it can be explained causally
Source
David H. Sanford (Causation [1995], p.79)
Book Ref
'A Companion to Metaphysics', ed/tr. Kim,Jaegwon/Sosa,Ernest [Blackwell 1995], p.79
A Reaction
A nice bold claim with which I am in sympathy, but he would have a struggle proving it. Does this imply that causal explanations are basic, or in some way superior? Note that functional explanations would thus have underlying causal explanations.
8406 | Not all explanations are causal, but if a thing can be explained at all, it can be explained causally [Sanford] |
8407 | A totality of conditions necessary for an occurrence is usually held to be jointly sufficient for it [Sanford] |