more from Wesley Salmon

Single Idea 8409

[catalogued under 26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 8. Particular Causation / e. Probabilistic causation]

Full Idea

Probabilistic causal concepts are used in innumerable contexts of everyday life and science. ...In causes of cancer, road accidents, or food poisoning, for example.

Gist of Idea

Probabilistic causal concepts are widely used in everyday life and in science

Source

Wesley Salmon (Probabilistic Causality [1980], p.137)

Book Reference

'Causation', ed/tr. Sosa,E. /Tooley,M. [OUP 1993], p.137


A Reaction

[Second half compresses his examples] This strikes me as rather a weak point. No one ever thought that a particular road accident was actually caused by the high probability of it at a particular location. Causes are in the mechanisms.