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Philosophy

The Problem of Counterfactual Dependence in Causal Explanation

Quick fact

According to the counterfactual theory of causation, saying 'A caused B' implies that if A had not occurred, B would not have occurred either—a claim that is true in the closest possible worlds to ours.

Why this is interesting

Notice how you explain why a glass broke: 'Because the rock hit it.' But what if the rock hadn't hit it? Would the glass still have broken? That 'what if' is the heart of counterfactual dependence.