Cumulative Causation, Capital Mobility and the Welfare State
Omission and prevention in Dowe's Physical Causation
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Transcript of Omission and prevention in Dowe's Physical Causation
“The father’s inattention was the cause
of the child’s accident”
“The father’s grabbing the child
prevented the accident”
Omission
Real occurrence
Nonoccurrence
A causes* B
A is negative Causation* by omission
B is negative Causation*
by prevention
A & B are negatives
Prevention by omission
Causation* Hybrid fact
Actual real causation
Conterfactual truths about
real causation
The conterfactual theory solves the problems that prevention and omission cause for a wide range of theories of causation
Intuition of difference: we can recognise by reflection that cases of prevention and omission are not really cases of causation. But the mistake of treating them as if they were causation doesn’t matter. E.g. › See black holes
› Killing or letting die
› Neglect (lawful)
“Drink-driving causes accidentes”
› Perhaps alcohol prevents normal functioning
(prevention)…
› which in turn causes the accident (causation
by omission)
Single positive cause:
› One positive effect &
› Infinitely many negative effects
Prevention
A caused* ┐B
Omission ┐A caused* B
[A, B being positive events]
A prevented B ≡ A caused* ┐B if:
› (P1) A ocurred and B did not,
and there ocurred and x such
that
› (P2) there is a causal relation
between A and the process
due to x, such that either
A is a causal interaction with the causal process x, or
A causes y, a causal interaction with the causal process x, and
› (P3) if A had not occurred, x
would have caused B
A
┐ B
x
y
┐ B
x A
Ejemplos de prevención
En una fría noche invernal, usted cierra
la ventana de su dormitorio para evitar
enfriarse.
Cerrar ventana
┐ Frío
Flujo de energía térmica
Ejemplos de prevención
En una fría noche invernal, usted cierra
la ventana de su dormitorio para evitar
un resfrío.
Organismo abrigado
┐ Resfrío
Virus
Cerrar la ventana
┐ A caused* B if:
› (O1) B ocurred and A did not,
and there ocurred and x such
that
› (O2) x caused B, and
› (O3) If A had ocurred then B
would not have ocurred, and
there would have been a
causal relation between A
and the process due to x, such
that either
A is a causal interaction involving the causal process x, or
A causes y, a causal interaction involving the causal process x
┐ A
B
x
┐ y
B
x
┐ A
Physically possible event
Ejemplos de omisión
Usted toma bebida con una bombilla
plástica.
Vacío
Sorber bebida
Presión atmosférica
Vacío: ausencia de choques moleculares
Ejemplos de omisión
Usted toma bebida con una bombilla
plástica.
No se confiscaron
los mariscos
contaminados
Intoxicación de
personas en un
restaurante
Venta de
mariscos
No se alertó sobre
mariscos
contaminados
Ejemplos de omisión
Usted toma bebida con una bombilla
plástica.
No se jugó el
partido
El público
quema el
estadio
Público en
el estadio
El equipo no se
presentó en la
cancha
y
┐ B
x A
┐ y
B
x
┐ A
Organismo
abrigado
┐ Resfrío
Virus Cerrar la
ventana
┐ Organismo
abrigado
Resfrío
Virus ┐ Cerrar la
ventana
┐A caused* ┐B if
› (1) Neither A nor B
ocurred, and
› (2) if A had ocurred,
A would have
caused B ┐ A
┐ B
┐A caused* ┐B if › (1) Neither A nor B
ocurred, and there ocurred and x, a y and a z such that
› (2) process z caused y, an interaction involving the process due to x, and
› (3) had A ocurred, then y would not have ocurred,
B would have ocurred, and there would be a w such that
A would have caused w, an interaction involving the process due to y, and
The process due to x would have caused B
y
┐ B
x z
┐ A
┐ y
B
x z
A w
La “intuición de la diferencia” solo indica que atribuimos ‘causalidad’ donde no la hay. Sin embargo, esta distinción solo es posible si disponemos de una noción primitiva de la causación. En el caso de Dowe, su noción de causación implica causalidad física (de cantidades conservadas). Así, porque su noción de causalidad solo puede ser eficiente (directa o por conexión), la “causalidad” negativa puede ser distinguida de ella y, por lo tanto, permitir la intuición de la diferencia.
Esto amerita una revisión más profunda del carácter universal de la teoría contrafáctica de Dowe.
