The Ontological Categories of Causes
Paul Noordhof · Oxford University Press eBooks · 2020
A distinction is drawn between what kinds of entities may be causes and what are the fundamental causal relata. Arguments to settle the latter arise from the nature of the causal relation or more general ontological issues. Events are one fundamental causal relata because they are needed to be triggering causes. There is no need to recognize other fundamental relata than properties. Recognition of facts is neither required to capture the nature of causation nor for their truth-making role since no such role is required. Events are temporally limited particulars involving the instantiation of the properties required for the instantiation of a particular determinate property. More finely individuated events, involving the instantiation of perhaps just one property, are unnecessary. They are not needed to capture the truth of various causal claims or make the analysis of causation. Indeed, the analysis removes an argument for these other ways of understanding events.