Causes as Difference-Makers for Processes

Reference : Causes as Difference-Makers for Processes


	Document type :	Scientific journals : Article
	Discipline(s) :	Arts & humanities : Philosophy & ethics
	To cite this reference:	http://hdl.handle.net/10993/31828

Title :	Causes as Difference-Makers for Processes
Language :	English
Author, co-author :	Loew, Christian [University of Luxembourg > Faculty of Language and Literature, Humanities, Arts and Education (FLSHASE) > Identités, Politiques, Sociétés, Espaces (IPSE) >]
Publication date :	22-Jun-2017
Journal title :	Philosophy and Phenomenological Research
Publisher :	Wiley
Peer reviewed :	Yes
Audience :	International
Keywords :	[en] Causation ; Difference-Making ; Causal Processes ; Transitivity
Abstract :	[en] It is natural to think of causes as difference-makers. What exact difference causes make, however, is an open question. In this paper, I argue that the right way of understanding difference-making is in terms of causal processes: causes make a difference to a causal process that leads to the effect. I will show that this way of understanding difference-making nicely captures the distinction between causing an outcome and helping determine how the outcome happens and, thus, explains why causation is not transitive. Moreover, the theory handles tricky cases that are problematic for competing accounts of difference-making.
Permalink :	http://hdl.handle.net/10993/31828
DOI :	10.1111/phpr.12424

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