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Single Idea 24498

[catalogued under 26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 8. Particular Causation / c. Conditions of causation]

Full Idea

Wesley Salmon's account of causation in science is 'process theory', which holds that the contiguous transmission of a 'mark' is a condition on causal relationships - which captures the intuition behind the proximality principle

Gist of Idea

'Process theory' says a causal event must trnsmit some kind of 'mark'

Source

report of Wesley Salmon (Scientific Explanation and the Causal Structure of the World [1984]) by Mazviita Chirimuuta - The Brain Abstracted 6.2.4

A Reaction

It seems fine to say that any causal event must produce some sort of change, but a bit too specific to say that must be an individuated mark.

Book Reference

Mazviita Chirimuuta: 'The Brain Abstracted' [MIT 2024], p.166

Related Idea

Idea 24499 X is causally linked to Y if interventions on X, even if remote, affect Y [Woodward,J, by Chirimuuta]