Ross, Lauren N.
(2020)
Causes with material continuity.
[Preprint]
Abstract
Recent philosophical work on causation has focused on distinctions across types of causal relationships. Of the various ways that causal relationships can differ, differences that have been discussed in this literature include stability, specificity, and proportionality (Woodward 2010; Lombrozo et al. 2018). This paper argues for another distinction among causation that has yet to receive attention in this work. This distinction has to do with whether causal relationships have “material continuity” or not, which refers to the reliable movement of material from cause to effect. I provide an analysis of material continuity and argue that causes with this feature (1) are associated with a unique explanatory perspective, (2) are studied with distinct causal investigative methods, and (3) provide different types of causal control over the world.
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Causes with material continuity. (deposited 11 Dec 2020 14:42)
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