Actual Causation and the Challenge of Purpose

Dados Bibliográficos

ID21461674
AutoresEnno Fischer (0000-0003-3758-4655, Ruhr University Bochum, autor correspondente)
Ano2024
Volume89
Fascículo7
Páginas2925-2945
Data de publicação2024-10-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoErkenntnis (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0165-0106 • E-ISSN: 1572-8420
EditoraSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1007/s10670-023-00660-z
OpenAlexW4319811992
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas2
Referências citadas43

This paper explores the prospects of employing a functional approach in order to improve our concept of actual causation. Claims of actual causation play an important role for a variety of purposes. In particular, they are relevant for identifying suitable targets for intervention, and they are relevant for our practices of ascribing responsibility. I argue that this gives rise to the challenge of purpose . The challenge of purpose arises when different goals demand adjustments of the concept that pull in opposing directions. More specifically, I argue that a common distinction between certain kinds of preempted and preempting factors is difficult to motivate from an interventionist viewpoint. This indicates that an appropriately revised concept of actual causation would not distinguish between these two kinds of factors. From the viewpoint of retributivist responsibility, however, the distinction between preempted and preempting factors sometimes is important, which indicates that the distinction should be retained

Business · Causation · Economics · Epistemology · Ontology · Computer Science · Epistemology, Ethics, and Metaphysics · Free Will and Agency · Philosophy · Political Philosophy and Ethics · Psychology · Artificial Intelligence