Choose one of the following topics for Essay I. Your essay should
be no more than 2000 words long and no less than 1800 words. Your
essay should exhibit both knowledge of the relevant material and an
ability to formulate your own criticisms and philosophical argumentation.
The essay is due on Thursday, February 13 by 11:59pm. Please submit
your essay on line via blackboard (https://portal.utoronto.ca).
What is a reductive theory of causation? Try to describe what is meant by a reductive account of causation (perhaps illustrate with examples of other philosophical reductions). What are the advantages and disadvantages of providing such an account of causation? What do you think are the main challenges standing in the way of such an account?
Theories of causation. Compare and contrast the various approaches to causation which the authors outline. Try to describe their similarities and differences. Which one (or ones) strike you as most promising (at this early stage of our investigation)? Why?
Modes of philosophical analysis. The authors describe a number of different ways to interpet philosophical analyses of concepts. Compare and contrast these modes of analysis. What are the advantages and disadvantages of these (or does that depend upon what one is trying to analyse)? Which mode strikes you as the best way to approach the problem of causation? Why?
Counterfactuals and temporal asymmetries. David Lewis believed that his analysis of counterfactuals could explain why there is a direction of time. Explain how this was supposed to work. Now, read Adam Elga's paper, 'Statistical Mechanics and the Asymmetry of Counterfactual Dependence'. Explain Elga's objection against Lewis and try to assess whether Elga is right or not. (Elga's paper is available on his webpage, http://www.princeton.edu/~adame.)
Probabilistic and Aggregative Effects. Although the authors only briefly discuss the problems of purely probabilistic causes and aggregative causes they are worth thinking about. Discuss the problems raised for a theory of causation by probabilistic and aggregative causes. Try to invent solutions to these problems within some theory of causation. Are there any important links between probabilistic and aggregative causation?