Article ID: CBB929989718

Mechanistic Causation and Constraints: Perspectival Parts and Powers, Non-perspectival Modal Patterns (2020)

unapi

Any successful account of the metaphysics of mechanistic causation must satisfy at least five key desiderata. In this article, I lay out these five desiderata and explain why existing accounts of the metaphysics of mechanistic causation fail to satisfy them. I then present an alternative account that does satisfy the five desiderata. According to this alternative account, we must resort to a type of ontological entity that is new to metaphysics, but not to science: constraints. In this article, I explain how a constraints-based metaphysics fits best with the emerging consensus on the nature of mechanistic explanation. 1.  Introduction2.  Renormalizability2.1.  The first two desiderata: Intrinsicness and productivity2.2.  The third desideratum: Scientific validity or non-mysteriousness2.3.  The fourth desideratum: Directionality2.4.  The fifth desideratum: Perspectival nature of mechanisms3.  Constraints and Causation3.1.  Multi-perspectival realism and causal structure3.2.  Causal structure as laws3.3.  Causal structures in analytical mechanics: Constraints3.4.  A metaphysics inspired by analytical mechanics: Constraints as ontologically primitive modal structures4.  Constraints and Mechanistic Causal Powers 4.1.  Inter- versus intra-perspectival categories4.2.  Mechanistic causal powers are grounded by constraints4.3.  Intrinsicness and constraints4.4.  Constraints and productiveness4.5.  Constraints and directionality5.  Conclusion

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Authors & Contributors
Alleva, Karina
Schrenk, Markus
Ross, Lauren N.
Dellsén, Finnur
Tugby, Matthew
Krickel, Beate
Concepts
Causality
Philosophy of science
Metaphysics
Explanation; hypotheses; theories
Mechanism; mechanical philosophy
Philosophy
Time Periods
21st century
18th century
17th century
Ancient
20th century, early
20th century
Places
Greece
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