Douglas E. Ehring

Causation My main area of research has been causation. I have proposed theories in the three main areas of the metaphysics of causation: (1) what is it for two events to be causally connected (2) What accounts for causal asymmetry or direction? (3) What kinds of things, for example objects or events, can stand in causal relations?

Philosophy of Science In the philosophy of science, I have written on the concept of a function and goal-directed processes, including the issue of what distinguishes a mere effect of a thing, say an organ, from its function.

Personal Identity I am interested in and have published papers on the nature of personal identity.

Objects and Object Persistence I have published a number of papers on objects and persistence. The broad topic of these papers concerns the question of how objects are related to their properties.

The Problem of Universals I am working on developing a nominalist view of properties according to which properties are particulars.

The Problem of Mental Causation I am interested in the challenge presented by physicalism of showing how a mind could have any causal role in a causally closed physical world.

Political Philosophy I have published papers in the area of political philosophy.

Representative Publications

Causation and Persistence: A Theory of Causation (New York: Oxford University Press), 1997.
"Causal Asymmetry," The Journal of Philosophy 79 (1982) pp. 761-774.
"The Transference Theory of Causation," Synthese 67 (1986), pp. 249-258.
"Survival and Trivial Facts," Analysis 47 (1987) pp. 50-54.
"Causal Relata," Synthese, 73 (1987) pp. 319-328.
"Preemption, Direct Causation, and Identity," Synthese 85 (1990) pp. 55-70.
"Mental Causation, Determinables, and Property Instances," Nous 30 (1996) pp. 461-480.
"Lewis, Temporary Intrinsics, and Momentary Tropes," Analysis 57 (1997)
"Temporal Parts and Bundle Theory," Philosophical Studies 104 (2001) pp. 163-168.
"Spatial Relations Between Universals," The Australasian Journal of Philosophy 80 (2002) pp. 17-23.
"The Causal Argument Against Natural Class Trope Nominalism," Philosophical Studies 107 (2002) pp. 179-190.
"Part-Whole Physicalism and Mental Causation," 136 (2003) Synthese pp.359-388.
"Property Counterparts and Natural Class Trope Nominalism," 82 (2004) The Australasian Journal of Philosophy pp. 436-454.
"Distinguishing Universals From Particulars," 64 (2004) Analysis pp. 326-332.
"Causal Relata," forthcoming in the Oxford Handbook on Causation, eds. Beebee, Hitchcock, Menzies, (Oxford University Press).
"Abstracting Away from Preemption," (invited), The Monist.

Work in Progress

Tropes and Things (book manuscript).
"Abstracting Away from Preemption" (invited), The Monist.

Teaching

Logic

Other than that

No Limit Texas Hold 'Em