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Ideas for 'Mechanisms', 'On Divination ('De divinatione')' and 'Introduction to Philosophical Papers II'

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2 ideas

26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 4. Naturalised causation
Since causal events are related by mechanisms, causation can be analysed in that way [Glennan]
     Full Idea: Causation can be analyzed in terms of mechanisms because (except for fundamental causal interactions) causally related events will be connected by intervening mechanisms.
     From: Stuart Glennan (Mechanisms [2008], 'causation')
     A reaction: This won't give us the metaphysics of causation (which concerns the fundamentals), but this strikes me as a very coherent and interesting proposal. He mentions electron interaction as non-mechanistic causation.
26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 11. Against Laws of Nature
The world is just a vast mosaic of little matters of local particular fact [Lewis]
     Full Idea: The world is a vast mosaic of local matters of particular fact, just one little thing and then another.
     From: David Lewis (Introduction to Philosophical Papers II [1986])
     A reaction: Basing laws on this picture is what Lewis calls 'Humean Supervenience'.