Single Idea 16269

[catalogued under 26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 9. General Causation / c. Counterfactual causation]

Full Idea

If Kennedy had still been President in Dec 1963, he would not have been assassinated in Nov 1963, so the counterfactual goes both ways (where the cause seems to only go one way).

Gist of Idea

If the effect hadn't occurred the cause wouldn't have happened, so counterfactuals are two-way

Source

Tim Maudlin (The Metaphysics within Physics [2007], 5)

Book Reference

Maudlin,Tim: 'The Metaphysics within Physics' [OUP 2007], p.144


A Reaction

Maudlin says a lot of fine-tuning has sort of addressed these problems, but that counterfactual causation is basically wrong-headed anyway, and I incline to agree, though one must understand what the theory is (and is not) trying to do.