Sigma Club Seminar by David Papineau (KCL)

Title: Causation and Physics

Abstract: Much recent metaphysical work on “token causation” involves “causal models” in the form of directed acyclic systems of deterministic “structural equations”. In this talk I shall first show how the directionality of these equations relates to causal discovery techniques and then use this to draw an analogy with the directionality of thermodynamics. Finally I shall consider how far this deterministic understanding of causation needs to be adjusted within a quantum mechanical setting.

David Papineau is a Professor of Philosophy of Science in the Department of Philosophy at King's College London. He works primarily on epistemology, metaphysics and the philosophy of science and mind.

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