Causation and Laws of NatureH. Sankey Causation and Laws of Nature is a collection of articles which represents current research on the metaphysics of causation and laws of nature, mostly by authors working in or active in the Australasian region. The book provides an overview of current work on the theory of causation, including counterfactual, singularist, nomological and causal process approaches. It also covers work on the nature of laws of nature, with special emphasis on the scientific essentialist theory that laws of nature are, at base, the fundamental dispositions or capacities of natural kinds of things. Because the book represents a good cross-section of authors currently working on these themes in the Australasian region, it conveys something of the interest and excitement of an active philosophical debate between advocates of several different research programmes in the area. |
Contents
BRIAN ELLIS Causal Powers and Laws of Nature | 19 |
JOHN BIGELOW Scientific Ellisianism | 45 |
BRIAN ELLIS Bigelows Worries About Scientific Essentialism | 61 |
MARTIN LECKEY The Naturalness Theory of Laws | 77 |
Comment | 83 |
ALAN BAKER Are the Laws of Nature Deductively Closed? | 111 |
CATHY LEGG Real Law in Peirces Pragmaticism | 125 |
DAVID LEWIS Finkish Dispositions | 143 |
Theories of Causation | 175 |
F JOHN CLENDINNEN Causal Dependence and Laws | 187 |
COLLIER Causation is the Transfer of Information | 215 |
Causation and Causal Processes | 247 |
KEVIN B KORB Probabilistic Causal Structure | 265 |
PETER MENZIESIntrinsic versus Extrinsic Conceptions of Causation | 313 |
HUW PRICEThe Role of History in Microphysics | 331 |
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Common terms and phrases
actual world argue argument Armstrong asymmetry behaviour believe Bigelow Brian Ellis Cambridge causal basis causal connections causal factor causal laws causal powers causal processes causal relations causal structure Causation and Laws concept conserved quantity contingent correlation counterfactual counterfactual conditionals d-separation disjunctive generalisations dispositional properties distinction effect electron Ellis entailment entropy essential properties essentialist example exist explain extrinsic fact finkish fragility fundamental Humean Humean supervenience identity independent instantiated interaction intrinsic relation intuitions involved laws of nature Lewis Lierse logical Markov property metaphysical minimal view n-dependence natural kinds nomic notion objects ontology particular Peirce Peirce's Philosophy of Science photon physical possible worlds predicates probabilistic probability problem properties and relations quantum mechanics realism reference class regularity Salmon scientific essentialism sense Simpson's paradox singularist statistical relevance subpopulations supervenience Suppose T-symmetry Teleology theory of causation thesis things tion transubstantiation true truth University Press variables