The idea that event c causes event e if and only if had c not had occurred e would not have occurred either.

The Nature of Causation

The counterfactual theory of causation

We have causal theories of reference, perception, knowledge, content and numerous other things. If it were to turn out that causation doesn’t exist, we would be in serious trouble! Causation is so important in fact that it has been said that: “With regard to our total conceptual apparatus, causation is the centre of the centre”, and it has been called called ‘the cement of the universe’. In these lectures you will be introduced to the most influential theories of causation, the motivations for them and arguments behind them, and the problems they face.

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The Nature of Causation