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Boolean difference-making: a modern regularity theory of causation

Baumgartner, Michael and Falk, Christoph (2018) Boolean difference-making: a modern regularity theory of causation. [Preprint]

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Abstract

A regularity theory of causation analyses type-level causation in terms of Boolean difference-making. The essential ingredient that helps this theoretical framework overcome the well-known problems of Hume's and Mill's classical accounts is a principle of non-redundancy: only Boolean dependency structures from which no elements can be eliminated track causation. The first part of this paper argues that the recent regularity theoretic literature has not consistently implemented this principle, for it disregarded an important type of redundancies: structural redundancies. Moreover, it is shown that a regularity theory needs to be underwritten by a hitherto neglected metaphysical background assumption stipulating that the world's causal makeup is not ambiguous. Against that background, the second part then develops a new regularity theory that does justice to all types of redundancies and, thereby, provides the first all-inclusive notion of Boolean difference-making.


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Item Type: Preprint
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
Baumgartner, Michaelmichael.baumgartner@uib.no
Falk, Christophchri.falk@gmail.com
Keywords: Regularity theory of causation, difference-making, Boolean causal models, configurational comparative methods, Coincidence Analysis, Qualitative Comparative Analysis
Subjects: General Issues > Causation
Depositing User: Dr. Michael Baumgartner
Date Deposited: 21 Apr 2019 12:54
Last Modified: 21 Apr 2019 12:54
Item ID: 15921
Subjects: General Issues > Causation
Date: 2018
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/15921

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