Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2025

DOI

10.1007/s13194-025-00683-z

Publication Title

European Journal of Philosophy of Science

Volume

15

Issue

4

Pages

50

Abstract

According to the Causal Principle, anything that begins to exist has a cause. In turn, various authors – including Thomas Hobbes, Jonathan Edwards, and Arthur Prior – have defended the thesis that, had the Causal Principle been false, there would be no good explanation for why entities do not begin at arbitrary times, in arbitrary spatial locations, in arbitrary number, or of arbitrary kind. I call this the Hobbes-Edwards-Prior Principle (HEPP). However, according to a view popular among both philosophers of physics and naturalistic metaphysicians – Neo-Russellianism – causation is absent from fundamental physics. I argue that objections based on the HEPP should have no dialectical force for Neo-Russellians. While Neo-Russellians maintain that there is no causation in fundamental physics, they also have good reason to reject the HEPP.

Rights

© 2025 The Author.

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Data Availability

Article states: "Not applicable."

Original Publication Citation

inford, D. (2025). Without microphysical causation, not just anything can begin to exist just anywhere. European Journal for Philosophy of Science, 15(4), Article 50. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13194-025-00683-z

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