Causation and Laws of Nature: Reductionism
نویسنده
چکیده
Starting with causation, the intended notion is perhaps best introduced by examples. Causation is present when one billiard ball strikes another (which Hume called ‘a perfect instance’ of causation), when a person lifts a suitcase, and when a spring uncoils. To a first approximation, one might test for causation by testing for counterfactual dependence: if the cause had not occurred, then the effect would not have occurred. For present purposes the notion of causation may be left intuitive. To the extent we understand any notion, we understand this one.
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تاریخ انتشار 2006