Full Idea
The platitudes of causation are that 1) causes make a difference (counterfactually or probabilistically), 2) causes are recipes for events, 3) causes explain their effects, and 4) causes are evidence for effects.
Gist of Idea
Causes clearly make a difference, are recipes for events, explain effects, and are evidence
Source
Stathis Psillos (Causation and Explanation [2002], Intro)
Book Reference
Psillos,Stathis: 'Causation and Explanation' [Acumen 2002], p.6
A Reaction
A nice piece of analysis which offers some problems for anyone (like Russell) who wants to analyse causation completely out of our conceptual scheme.