Causal Loops and the Independence of Causal Facts

Philosophy of Science 68 (S3):S89-S97 (2001)
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Abstract

According to Hugh Mellor in Real Time II, assuming the logical independence of causal facts and the ‘law of large numbers’, causal loops are impossible because if they were possible they would produce inconsistent sets of frequencies. I clarify the argument, and argue that it would be preferable to abandon the relevant independence assumption in the case of causal loops.

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10.1086/392900

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Phil Dowe
Australian National University

Citations of this work

Buclele cauzale în călătoria în timp.Nicolae Sfetcu - 2018 - Bucharest, Romania: MultiMedia Publishing.
Self-Fulfilling Prophecies.Stephanie Rennick - 2021 - Philosophies 6 (3):78.

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References found in this work

Time’s arrow and Archimedes’ point.Huw Price - 1996 - Philosophical and Phenomenological Research 59 (4):1093-1096.
Review of R eal Time.L. Nathan Oaklander - 1985 - Noûs 19 (1):105-111.
On chance in causal loops.J. Berkovitz - 2001 - Mind 110 (437):1-23.

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