Causation by Absence: Omission Impossible

Philosophia 48 (2):625-641 (2020)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

In this paper, we argue that, omissions are not events or actions, but rather fact-like entities, and that, insofar as only events and actions can be causes, omissions cannot be causes. Nevertheless, since omissions can, and often do, play a role in the explanations of events, their place in such explanations must be found; and an attempt to find such a place is made.

Other Versions

No versions found

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 101,225

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Omissions as Events and Actions.Kenneth Silver - 2018 - Journal of the American Philosophical Association 4 (1):33-48.
Omissions and Their Effects.Martin Montminy - 2020 - Journal of the American Philosophical Association 6 (4):502-516.
Acts and Omissions.Alexander Paul Donald - 1990 - Dissertation, University of St. Andrews (United Kingdom)
The logical form of negative action sentences.Jonathan D. Payton - 2016 - Canadian Journal of Philosophy 46 (6):855-876.
Negative Actions: Events, Absences, and the Metaphysics of Agency.Jonathan D. Payton - 2021 - New York, NY, USA: Cambridge University Press.
Proportionality, Contrast and Explanation.Brad Weslake - 2013 - Australasian Journal of Philosophy 91 (4):785-797.
The Metaphysics of Omissions.Sara Bernstein - 2015 - Philosophy Compass 10 (3):208-218.

Analytics

Added to PP
2020-01-04

Downloads
92 (#228,313)

6 months
17 (#172,835)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Lawrence Lombard
Wayne State University

Citations of this work

Events.Roberto Casati & Achille C. Varzi - 2020 - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Add more citations

References found in this work

Abstract particulars.Keith Campbell - 1990 - Cambridge, Mass., USA: Blackwell.
Causation as influence.David Lewis - 2000 - Journal of Philosophy 97 (4):182-197.
The logical form of action sentences.Donald Davidson - 1966 - In Nicholas Rescher (ed.), The Logic of Decision and Action. University of Pittsburgh Press. pp. 81--95.
Events and Their Names.Jonathan Bennett - 1988 - Oxford University Press UK.
Linguistics in Philosophy.Zeno Vendler - 1967 - Ithaca, N.Y.,: Cornell University Press.

View all 27 references / Add more references