Causal Influence

Abstract

This chapter argues that the reductive method of explanation assumes an ontology of causal powers that manifest invariant causal influence. The reductive method takes what we know about how systems behave in one situation (typically a situation of relative isolation), and apply that knowledge to explain or predict the behaviour of the system in another situation (such as when it is a part of a more complex system). If this method is to work, then there must be something that remains constant from one situation to another in a way that supports the method. It is shown that standard ontologies do not contain anything that can fulfil this role. It is then shown that a relatively novel kind of entity, dubbed ‘causal influence’, can do the job.