The Determinables Of Explanatory Mechanisms |
| |
Authors: | Persson Johannes |
| |
Institution: | (1) Filosofiska institutionen, Kungshuset, Lundag{aa}rd, SE-22222 LUND, Sweden |
| |
Abstract: | Sometimes instances of perceived causation turn out to lack causal relata. The reasons may vary. Causation may display itself
as prevention, or as omission, and in some cases causation occurs within such complex environments that few of the things
we associate with causes and effects are true of them, etc. But even then, there may be causal explanations to be had. This
suggests that the explanatory power of causal reports have other sources than the relation between cause and effect. In this
paper it is argued that the causal mechanisms we allude to in explanations have relevant determinables other than the traditionally
acknowledged ones. The traditional but in this aspect mistaken view of causation is to be blamed. Discernability, complexity
of manifestation, originality, and even stability have often been overlooked.
We know, that, in fact, heat is a constant attendant of flame; but what is the connexion between them, we have no room so
much as to conjecture or imagine. (Hume 1777, VII. 2, 64)
This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date. |
| |
Keywords: | |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|