Single Idea 15562

[catalogued under 26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 1. Causation]

Full Idea

Causation is the ancestral of causal dependence: event c causes event e iff either e depends on c, or e depends on an intermediate event which in turn depends on c, or....

Gist of Idea

Causation is a general relation derived from instances of causal dependence

Source

David Lewis (Events [1986], I)

Book Reference

Lewis,David: 'Philosophical Papers Vol.2' [OUP 1986], p.242


A Reaction

This is Lewis making sure that we don't postulate some huge bogus thing called 'Causation' which is supposed to be in charge of Nature. Good point.

Related Idea

Idea 10032 'Ancestral' relations are derived by iterating back from a given relation [Frege, by George/Velleman]