Causal asymmetry and causal relata: Reply to Lee

Abstract

Jig-Chuen Lee in a recent paper, 'Causal Connection, Causal Asym metry, and the Counterfactual Analysis of Causation', offers a coun terexample to my account of causal asymmetry.1 In this paper I argue that Lee's example is effective only if a certain background assump tion concerning the nature of causal relata is made, an assumption which I previously held but have since abandoned on independent grounds. After outlining my new view of causal relata, I show that Lee's example can be revised to work under this new assumption. I propose a revision of my account of causal asymmetry to handle this case.