Causality can cause confusion

[coberst]

Causality is a concept argued over by many very important philosophers.

Cause is a determining factor in a situation. A prototypical causation is when a force is applied to something thereby moving it. Causes are temporally prior. Causes are sources of events. Cause is the agent of event. We conceptualize causes in terms of locations and in terms of objects. Motion in space is fundamental to all creatures and this is our source of much of our experiential knowledge. Cause is force and causation is forced movement.

A critically self-conscious individual has a very different attitude toward the world and the self than does the non-critical thinking individual.

In our everyday experiences we encounter numerous ideas regarding causation.

Domino: Start a proper first change and like dominos others will follow.

Thresholds: A barrier must be overcome. Once that initial hurdle is carried then change will occur.

Plate tectonic: The change takes much time because of the vast inertia that must be overcome.

Path: The path taken determines the events caused. Some might argue that Iraq has been “set on the path’ to democracy. Being on the path means that eventually the goal will be reached.

These are causal models with a different logic for each. “In domino logic, but not in causal path logic, the change is stopped by the application of force. In domino logic, a change is to be prevented. In plate tectonic logic, a change is to be effected. In domino logic, just enough force is necessary to keep the domino from falling. In causal-path logic, just a little push now and then is necessary. But, in plate tectonic logic, a huge amount of force is necessary over a long time.

There are philosophical widespread views.

Causes are:material substance—forms—purposes—applications of force—necessary conditions—temporally prior to effects—laws of nature—uniformities of nature—correlations (constant conjunctions).

“At the heart of causation is its most fundamental case: the manipulation of objects by force¦It is conscious volitional human agency via direct physical force that is at the center of our concept of causation.

Our fundamental understandings of events are in terms of locations and in terms of objects. Fundamentally we “conceptualize events and all aspects of them—actions, causes, changes, states, purposes, and so forth—in terms of our extensive experience with, and knowledge about, motion in space.

Location: Causation Is the Forced Movement of an Entity (The Affected Entity) To a New Location (The Effect)

Figure = Affected Entity

Ground = Effect

Example: “The homerun sent the crowd (Figure) into a frenzy (Ground).

Object: Causation Is The Transfer Of A Possible Object (The Effect) To Or From An Entity (The Affected Entity).

Figure = Effect

Ground = Affected Entity

Example: “The loud music gave a headache (Figure) to each of the guests (Ground).

Quotes from “Philosophy in the Flesh by Lakoff and Johnson



Question for your judgment

From the position of the advertiser what is the purpose of a TV show?—Sell merchandise to audience.

From the position of the entertainment producer what is the purpose of the TV show?—Sell entertainment package to advertiser.

From the position of the audience what is the purpose of the TV show?—Entertainment

Which entity do you think caused the TV show, the Advertiser, Entertainment Producer, or Audience?

[koan]

It is the final user that causes the production of the product.

Though products are often made that the consumer rejects, it was still produced with the philosophy in mind that the consumer would want it. If you think of the person who conceived of the product as also being a consumer (or imagining themselves to be the consumer) who wanted the product to exist then the connection is more evident.