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Can parts cause their wholes?

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

Part–whole causation (PWC) is the thesis that some causes are part of their effects. PWC has been objected to because of its incompatibility with the criterion that causes not be spatially included within their effects and the criterion that causes and effects are ontologically distinct in some sense. This paper serves to undermine the sufficiency of these ways of objecting to PWC by showing that for each criterion either cause-effect relationships need not satisfy it or part–whole relationships can. A case-study of the collapse of Bridge 9340 is employed to facilitate the discussion.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)5061-5082
Number of pages22
JournalSynthese
Volume196
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 1 2019

Keywords

  • Causation
  • Distinctness
  • Parthood

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