more from David Lewis

Single Idea 15567

[catalogued under 7. Existence / B. Change in Existence / 4. Events / a. Nature of events]

Full Idea

Not all events involve change. We cannot afford to count the unchanges as nonevents, for the unchanges may be needed to complete causal histories.

Gist of Idea

Some events involve no change; they must, because causal histories involve unchanges

Source

David Lewis (Events [1986], VI)

Book Reference

Lewis,David: 'Philosophical Papers Vol.2' [OUP 1986], p.261


A Reaction

You end up calling non-changes 'events' if you commit to a simplistic theory that all causal histories consist of events. Why not allow conditions as well as events? Lewis concedes that he may be abusing language.