Event Detail

Thu Dec 1, 2016
Howison Library
4–6 PM
Philosophy Colloquium
Bradford Skow (MIT)
Levels of Reasons Why

Abstract: There are first-level reasons: they are reasons why something happened. There are also second-level reasons: they are reasons why other facts are reasons. These two levels are different: a reason why R is a reason why E happened is not necessarily a reason why E happened. I’ll show off a bunch of work this distinction between levels can do, especially in the theories of explanation and causation.