more from Donald Davidson

Single Idea 4778

[catalogued under 26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 9. General Causation / b. Nomological causation]

Full Idea

For Davidson, what makes singular causal statements true is the existence of some regularities or laws. All causal is nomological: c causes e iff there is a law that connects events like c with events like e.

Gist of Idea

A singular causal statement is true if it is held to fall under a law

Source

report of Donald Davidson (Causal Relations [1967]) by Stathis Psillos - Causation and Explanation §2.6

Book Reference

Psillos,Stathis: 'Causation and Explanation' [Acumen 2002], p.77


A Reaction

I wonder if the cart is before the horse here. Scriven says this is just a claim that there are "phantom laws". It is the Humean view of causation, but surely the laws come after the causation, so can't be used to explain it?