Causes with material continuity

Lauren N Ross

doi:10.1007/s10539-021-09826-x

Abstract

Recent philosophical work on causation has focused on distinctions across types of causal relationships. This paper argues for another distinction that has yet to receive attention in this work. This distinction has to do with whether causal relationships have “material continuity,” which refers to the reliable movement of material from cause to effect. This paper provides an analysis of material continuity and argues that causal relationships 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 their effects.

Highlights

A significant amount of the philosophical literature on causation has focused on distinguishing causal from non-causal relationships
While this work appreciates different types of causal relationships, it does not advocate for different causal criteria–it does not claim that what makes these relationships “causal” differs from one to the other
This paper has considered a novel distinction among causation, referred to as “material continuity,” which concerns the reliable transfer of material from cause to effect

Summary

Causes with material continuity

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

Introduction

Background

Conclusion