The Physical Foundations of Causation

Abstract

Abstract The prominence of causation in twentieth-century metaphysics is curious considering it partly stems from a classical theory of interaction by mechanical contact that has long been superceded by more sophisticated physics. Specifically, the idea that a central organizing principle of nature is a causal relation between events is not motivated by a serious examination of fundamental physics. What we do find in our best fundamental theories are equations expressing relationships between physical quantities at different times and places, equations that have no obvious connection with the concept of causation.

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