[Wittrs] Constitution vs Causation
- From: Joseph Polanik <jpolanik@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: wittrsamr@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 29 Apr 2010 05:14:43 -0400
SWM wrote:
>Joseph Polanik wrote:
>>SWM wrote:
>>>Joseph Polanik wrote:
>>>>SWM wrote:
>>>>>As I noted above, one can use "constitute" to make a causal claim
>>>>>in certain cases, too, as Searle does.
>>>>where does Searle do this? I don't recall any such case.
>>>The wetness of water . . .
>>what about it? where does Searle use the language of 'constitution' to
>>make a claim about causation?
>His reference to the wetness of water and the solidity of tables is
>clearly a reference to a constitutive claim. That is, he relies on it
>to drive a causal explanation.
>>all I can find are uses of 'causation' to express a point about
>>constitution; for example, when Searle speaks of the liquidity of
>>water as a causally emergent system feature of H20 molecules. that's
>>really a claim that liquidity is constituted by H20.
>You're kidding, right?
>Liquidity of water is a "causally emergent system feature of H2O
>molecules" which is "really a claim that liquidity is constituted by
>H2O".
>And your problem is?
your claim was "one can use 'constitute' to make a causal claim in
certain cases, too, as Searle does".
but the evidence from Searle's writing illustrate "uses of 'causation'
to express a point about constitution".
if you can't see that the evidence supports the exact opposite of the
claim you made; then, you are still conflating constitution and
causation.
it's 'causation' not 'constitution that has both a wide and a narrow
meaning. it is the name of a class and the name of the members.
this stems from Aristotle, used 'causation' as the class name for the
'four causes' (material, formal, efficient and final). as usual, SEP has
more info: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle-causality
'constitution', as we would use it today, derives from Aristotle's
category of material causation; particularly, when speaking about the
material composition of something; and, relative to this linguistic
history, it's only slightly metaphorical to say that nine players
constitutes a baseball team.
'causation', as we would use it in the context of philosophy of
consciousness or in the context of scientific research, refers to
Aristotle's category of efficient causation.
Joe
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