With regards to the notion of a working causal channel, Hitchcock represent real or token causation from the after the terms and conditions:
(10) If c and e are distinct actual events and X and Z are binary variables whose values represent the occurrence and non-occurrence of these events, then c is a cause of e if and only if there is an active causal route from X to Z in an appropriate causal model
Lewis hotel so you can quasi-reliance once the shattering of your bottles (e) will not counterfactually believe Suzys put (c), using what can enjoys occurred had she perhaps not thrown (viz, Billys stone could have shattered the fresh container rather)
As mentioned, (10) doesnt deal with cases of symmetric overdetermination given that when Suzy and you will Billy both throw their stones separately, for each put will do to the package to split, and you can each other rocks hit the container very none toss preempts the fresh new other, due to the fact none toss is found on an energetic channel since outlined within the (9). To manage such as for example instances, Hitchcock weakens (10) of the substitution the fresh new ‘effective station into the (10) to your concept of an excellent weakly productive station (2001: 290). The absolute most suggestion here that there’s a great weakly productive route ranging from X and you will Z only whenever Z counterfactually depends on X underneath the freezing of some you are able to, never genuine, philosophy of variables which are not towards the channel of X so you’re able to Z. Intuitively, to recoup counterfactual dependence anywhere between Suzys throw and also the smashing i hold repaired BT = 0: got Suzy maybe not tossed regarding the design in which Billy does not throw, brand new container don’t have smashed. Furthermore to own Billys put.
The basic strategy implemented here to manage one another preemption and you can shaped overdetermination contains a glaring similarity in order to Lewiss quasi-dependence substitute for new late preemption condition. elizabeth quasi-utilizes c, although not, because of the fact one to inside the a potential business for the exact same legislation in which the intrinsic profile of techniques off c in order to elizabeth is the same but Billy doesnt toss, you’ve got the required counterfactual dependence. ‘Freezing parameters which aren’t built-in towards c-e processes at the its real thinking (for the later preemption times) elizabeth.grams. freezing BH within 0 converts around the same secret. New core differences would be the fact Lewiss services involves attractive to the brand new facts away from a completely ordinary counterfactual (“If the Suzy hadn’t thrown, …”) at a potential world where specific actual situations (e.g. Billys struck) cannot are present, since the structural-equations solution comes to appealing to the outcome off an excellent counterfactual having another types of antecedent (“Got Suzy perhaps not thrown and you can Billys stone still perhaps not strike, …”). Hitchcock calls these types of ‘clearly nonforetracking (ENF) counterfactuals. (Also to own symmetric overdetermination, where we ‘freeze BT at the 0 backpage women seeking women this time around a non-real value to recoup counterfactual reliance ranging from Suzys throw plus the shattering.)
5.2 SEF and you will Counterfactuals
Those who have pursued brand new SEF method of taking a diagnosis out-of ‘genuine causation that is, this new causal relatives between actual, types of events have obtained almost no to express regarding the semantics of your own counterfactuals one to underpin SEF. Specific people (age.grams. Hitchcock 2001) clearly and many article writers implicitly imagine a broadly Lewisian method to counterfactuals, and so the structural equations try representations out of affairs off things about counterfactual dependence as the described above whose basic facts standards try generally Lewisian.