Papineau, David (2021) The Causal Structure of Reality. [Preprint]

Preview

Text (Long paper) The Causal Structure of Reality Aug 23 PhScArch.pdf - Draft Version Download (502kB) | Preview

Abstract

This paper seeks to cast light on some of the more puzzling aspects of causation. My initial aim is to develop an analysis that will explain the “causal inference” techniques used by non-experimental scientists to infer causal structures from sets of correlations. Some have attempted to explain these techniques by reducing causal relationships directly to correlational ones. I show that the techniques are better explained by an analysis of causation in terms of structures of laws with probabilistically independent exogenous terms. This allows me to relate my analysis to quantum mechanical indeterminism and thereby to account for the temporal asymmetry of causation. I also show how this analysis can ground an understanding of single-case actual causation and counterfactual dependence.

---

Export/Citation:

EndNote | BibTeX | Dublin Core | ASCII/Text Citation (Chicago) | HTML Citation | OpenURL

Social Networking:

Share |

---

Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Papineau, David david.papineau@kcl.ac.uk 0000-0002-4345-4905
Keywords:	Causation, casual inference, causal asymmetry, Bayesian networks, structural equations, exogenous independence
Subjects:	General Issues > Causation
Depositing User:	David Papineau
Date Deposited:	24 Aug 2021 18:27
Last Modified:	24 Aug 2021 18:27
Item ID:	19482
Subjects:	General Issues > Causation
Date:	23 August 2021
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/19482

Available Versions of this Item

• The Causal Structure of Reality. (deposited 24 Aug 2021 18:27) [Currently Displayed]
  • The Causal Structure of Reality. (deposited 24 Jan 2022 00:41)

Monthly Views for the past 3 years

Monthly Downloads for the past 3 years

Plum Analytics

Actions (login required)

View Item