Abstract
I argue against a priori objections to the view that causation may be reducible to some micro-structural process in principle discoverable by physics. I distinguish explanation from causation, and argue that the main objections to such a reduction stem from conflating these two notions. Explanation is the collection of pragmatically relevant, possibly counterfactual information about causation; and causation is to be identified in a necessary a posteriori way with whatever physical processes underwrite our explanatory claims.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bigelow, J., Pargetter, R.: 1990, ‘The Metaphysics of Causation’,Erkenntnis 33, 89–110.
Braddon-Mitchell, D.: 1989, Explanation, PhD Thesis, Australian National University.
Collingwood, R. G.: 1940,An Essay on Metaphysics, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Davidson, D.: 1980, ‘Causal Relations’, InEssays on Actions and Events, Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 149–62.
Davidson, D.: 1980, ‘The Individuation of Events’, InEssays on Actions and Events, Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 163–80.
Garfinkel, A.: 1981,Forms of Explanation, Yale University Press, New Haven.
Goldman, A. I.: 1970,A Theory of Human Action, Princeton University Press, Princeton.
Heathcote, A.: 1989, ‘A Theory of Causality (As Defined by a Suitable Quantum Field Theory)’,Erkenntnis 31, 77–108.
Jackson, F., Pettit, P.: 1988, ‘Functionalism and Broad Content’.Mind 97, 381–400.
Kim, J.: 1973, ‘Causation, Nomic Subsumption, and the Concept of an event’,The Journal of Philosophy 70, 217–66.
Kim, J.: 1974, ‘Epiphenomenalism and Supervenient Causation’,Midwest Studies in Philosophy 9, 257–70.
Kim, J.: 1979, ‘Causality, Identity and Supervenience in the Mind-Body Problem’,Midwest Studies in Philosophy 4, 31–49.
Kim, J.: 1984, ‘Concepts of Supervenience’,Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, pp. 153–76.
Kim, J.: 1987, ‘Causation, Nomic Subsumption and the Concept of An Event’,The Journal of Philosophy 70, 217–66.
Kitcher, P., Salmon, W.: 1987, ‘Van Fraassen on Explanation’,The Journal of Philosophy 84, 315–30.
Lewis, D. K.: 1986, ‘Causal Explanation’, InLewis, pp. 214–70.
Lewis, D. K.: 1986, ‘Events’, InPhilosophical Papers, Vol. 2., Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 241–69.
Menzies, P.: 1988, ‘Against Causal Reductionism’,Mind 97, 551–74.
Salmon, W. C.: 1984,Scientific Explanation and the Causal Structure of the World, Princeton University Press, Princeton.
van Fraassen, B.: 1980,The Scientific Image, Clarendon Press, Oxford.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
I am grateful to Frank Jackson, Oscar Manhal, Peter Menzies, Philip Pettit and Huw Price for comments on earlier drafts of this paper. Since an earlier draft, I have heard of the death of Oscar Manhal. Oscar did not agree with the line defended here; but it is better defended for his disagreement. He will be greatly missed.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Braddon-Mitchell, D. The microstructural causation hypothesis. Erkenntnis 39, 257–283 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01128231
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01128231