Ideas of Michael Tooley, by Theme

[Australian, fl. 1990, University of Western Australia, and then at the University of Colorado at Boulder.]

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26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 2. Types of cause

8388	Causation is either direct realism, Humean reduction, non-Humean reduction or theoretical realism

8389	Causation distinctions: reductionism/realism; Humean/non-Humean states; observable/non-observable

26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 4. Naturalised causation

8416	Reductionists can't explain accidents, uninstantiated laws, probabilities, or the existence of any laws

26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 5. Direction of causation

8393	We can only reduce the direction of causation to the direction of time if we are realist about the latter

26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 8. Particular Causation / a. Observation of causation

8390	Causation is directly observable in pressure on one's body, and in willed action

26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 8. Particular Causation / e. Probabilistic causation

8418	Quantum physics suggests that the basic laws of nature are probabilistic

8392	Probabilist laws are compatible with effects always or never happening

8399	The actual cause may not be the most efficacious one

26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 9. General Causation / a. Constant conjunction

8391	In counterfactual worlds there are laws with no instances, so laws aren't supervenient on actuality

26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 9. General Causation / b. Nomological causation

8394	Explaining causation in terms of laws can't explain the direction of causation

8398	Causation is a concept of a relation the same in all worlds, so it can't be a physical process