Classifying Dependencies

Alastair Wilson

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter (peer-reviewed)peer-review

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Abstract

Metaphysicians typically distinguish sharply between grounding and causation, and philosophers of science typically distinguish sharply between causal and non-causal explanation, but there has been surprisingly little discussion of how exactly to draw these distinctions. In this paper I argue that six of the most obvious criteria fail to capture the intended distinction between causation and grounding. I propose and defend an alternative criterion in terms of the principles mediating the dependency, and I explore some of the implications of this criterion for the possibility of simultaneous causation in physics.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationThe Foundation of Reality
Subtitle of host publicationFundamentality, Space and Time
EditorsDavid Glick, George Darby, Anna Marmodoro
PublisherOxford University Press
Chapter2
Pages46
Number of pages23
ISBN (Print)9780198831501
Publication statusPublished - 20 Apr 2020

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