Causes and Effects

In my opinion there is always more than one cause for every effect -- necessarily, and there is more than one effect resutling from every cause. I take this to an extreme in fact.

The received view holds that in order to delinate which cause caused or will cause which effect, we must isolate them in 1:1 relations.

I dispute that this can give us a systems approach to the universe, an approach which I have come to regard as rather necessary.

cont later ...

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Date: Mon, 24 Jun 1996 21:33:42 -0400
To: Carolyn L Burke 
From: Russell White 
Subject: Re: cause and effect

I agree. There is never a single cause or a single effect. There are no discrete origins or end points. I had a great deal more to say, but I've forgotten it.

Russell White

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Dear Russell,

How do you see discreteness such that it does not play into the definitions or ontological status of causes and effects? Certainly when we look at a continuum we *can* delineate and discretely, both start and end points. This should not in *my* opinion by taken to imply that these are necessary, but only that they are convenient for othe *stories* we sich to tell; stories might be scientific theories, or they might be excuses to your mom about who broke the window.

Some (realists) might claim that if the start and end points so sleceted fit, then they *are* in fact fact. And if they fit seemingly uniquely that that are unique in fact - hence one cause /effect. This is where I step in.

Even when the facts fit tightly like this, I wish to keep in mind that a story was told. This implies that alternate stories could have been told, and can be told. When one discusses cause and effect, this amounts to saying that even if we have a cause that is both necessary and sufficent, it is not the only cause nevertheless. And this for the sake of a metaphysics (a story about the nature of causes and effects is such) which gives us power in other circomstances.

[I hope I am not simply boring the fuck out of you!]

I'm outa here..... Please fit discreteness back in then as unnecessary. I think that just to mention it's lack implies that one could not have wirttn what I did just above. That's how far I get without a further story to help.

Carolyn [ps... thsi is one of Peter's topics of the day. :) ]