Causal Power as a Structural Idea: A Comparative Study
Abstract
How do we typically construct a causal explanation of a target phenomenon? If we regard the phenomenon as a result of the interaction between two objects (or events), then normally we explain it by positing one of the objects (or events) as the factor that has the power to cause a change in the other object (or the other event) so that the change is regarded as the effect. This image of causal explanation is generally regarded as a Western one, in that it follows from Aristotle’s classical idea of causation, which maintains that causation results in a change between the material and form of an entity in the world. In China, however, the classical idea of causation involves more elements, which an individual entity is only one component. In addition to an entity’s power of causation and a resulting change in the material and form of the entity, Chinese thinkers suppose that, to make any explanation of a causal phenomenon, we must consider a number of essential components: other relevant entities in the world, their powers, and their relations with the entity in question. These two traditions present different focal points in the idea of causation. But is there a chance that these two positions can be moderated so that we can develop a position that includes the best parts of these two positions? In this paper, I first introduce Aristotle’s idea of causation and then describe the structural idea of causation proposed by Chinese thinkers. Then I describe a down-to-earth case of causal inquiry to show that contemporary Western philosophers of science, if we look from the perspectives of these two traditions, can provide a moderated account by combining the best parts of these traditions.
【Keywords】Causal Power, Capacity, Structure, Aristotle’s idea of causation, Chinese idea of causation
作者姓名:
Szu-Ting Chen
期刊名稱:
KATHA
出版年份:
2015年
期別及起訖頁數:
Vol.11
文章分類:
期刊論文
Causal Power as a Structural Idea.pdf