Laws, causes and powers

Authors

  • Luiz Henrique de A. Dutra Federal University of Santa Catarina - UFSC

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5007/1808-1711.2019v23n3p401

Abstract

This paper deals with the notions of scientific law, natural causes, and the powers of causes to produce their effects from the point of view of perspectival realism. In the first section I deal with the conception of cause defended by George H. Lewes, one of the forerunners of British emergentism, along with John Stuart Mill. In the next section I deal with the notion of heteropathic laws of Mill. In the last section I deploy these notions in my explanation of natural phenomena as emergent processes. I put emphasis on the fact that the base conditions of an emergent are not its causes.

Author Biography

Luiz Henrique de A. Dutra, Federal University of Santa Catarina - UFSC

UFSC, UnB, CNPq, BRASIL

References

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Published

2019-12-31

Issue

Section

Articles