[Wittrs] Re: Constitution vs Causation
- From: "BruceD" <blroadies@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: wittrsamr@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 02 May 2010 22:43:10 -0000
--- In Wittrs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Joseph Polanik <jPolanik@...> wrote:
> I maintain that a causal relation in the sense used by physical
sciences
> can not be an identity relation because it would violate Lebniz's Law.
>
> consider a mixture of oxygen gas and hydrogen gas. ignite a spark and
> the mixture of gases is transformed into H20 molecules. this is cause
> and effect. is the mixture of gases identical to water? no.
To look at them, touch them, taste them, of course water and gas are not
identical. But, as a particle level, they are simply a different
arrangement of atoms, i.e., identical in that sense.
At times Stuart has entertained a comparable analogy. Bone marrow makes
blood (causes blood to come about). Marrow and blood are as different as
gas and water. But both are body stuff. Brain makes mind (causes it to
come about). Mind is identical to brain in that it is the same stuff,
and caused by brain in the sense that it produced by it.
While I've spent months trying to show Stuart why this analogy fails
conceptually, I'm still inclined to agree of the possibility of an
identity and a causal relation holding between two things.
Is it possible that my wording of the argument doesn't violate Leibniz's
law but is not relevant to it?
bruce
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