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1、OntheNotionofCause,withApplicationstotheFree-WillProblem'BERTRANDRUSSELLINTHEFOLLOWINGpaperIwish,first,tomaintainthattheword"cause"issoinextricablyboundupwithmisleadingassociationsastomakeitscompleteextrusionfromthephilosophicalvocabularydesirable;secondly,toinquirewhatprinciple,ifany,
2、isemployedinscienceinplaceofthesupposed"lawofcausality"whichphilosophersimaginetobeemployed;thirdly,toexhibitcertainc~nfusions,especiallyinregardtoteleologyanddeterminism,whichappeartometobeconnectedwitherroneousnotionsastocausality.Allphilosophers,ofeveryschool,imaginethatcausationiso
3、neofthefundamentalaxiomsorpostulatesofscience,yet,oddlyenough,inad-vancedsciencessuchasgravitationalastronomy,theword"cause"neveroccurs.Dr.JamesWard,inhisNaturalismandAgnosticinn,makesthisagroundofcomplaintagainstphysics:thebusinessofthosewhowishtoascertaintheultimatetruthabouttheworld
4、,heapparentlythinks,shouldbethediscoveryofcauses,yetphysicsneverevenseeksthem.Tomeitseemsthatphilosophyoughtnottoassumesuchlegislativefunctions,andthatthereasonwhyphysicshasceasedtolookforcausesisthat,infact,therearenosuchthings.Thelawofcausality,Ibelieve,likemuchthatpassesmusteramongp
5、hilosophers,isarelicofabygoneage,surviving,likethemonarchy,onlybecauseitiserroneouslysupposedtodonoharm.Inorderto5ndoutwhatphilosopherscommonlyunderstandby"cause,"IconsultedBaldwin'sDictionary,andwasrewardedbeyondmyexpectations,forIfoundthefollowingthreemutuallyincompatibledefi-nitions
6、:-"CAUSALITY.(I)Thenecessaryconnectionofeventsinthetime-series...."CAUSE(notionof).Whatevermaybeincludedinthethoughtorperceptionofaprocessastakinglaceinconsequenceofanotherprocess....IReprintedbykindpermissionoftheauthorandthepublishersfromBeruandRussell,MysticinnandLogic(GeorgeAllen&U
7、nwin,Lard.),pp.18-205,andhisOurKnowledgeoftheExternalWorld(W.Mi.Norton&Co..London,1929,NewYork,388CAUSALITY,DETERhlINIShl,ANDPROII:RILITYONTHENOTIONOFCAUSE389"CAUSEANDEFFECT.(I)Causeandeffect...arecorrelativetermsositionwillbenecessaryorcontingentaccordingaswechooseoneordenotinganyt
