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Causal Contrapositive?

sonamsjsonamsj Alum Member

Can you take the contrapositive of a causal statement? For example, if it said that A caused B, and we don't have B, is it logically corrected to say then we don't have A? Or does causation not work like that?

Comments

  • iolaw-12iolaw-12 Live Member
    109 karma

    If A ALWAYS causes B then yes you can take the contrapositive: if you don't have B you also don't have A. But if A simply CAN cause B but doesn't always, then there is no contrapositive to be taken.

  • henry.ewinghenry.ewing Yearly + Live Member Sage 7Sage Tutor
    60 karma

    Second what iolaw-12 says. Real world example: Smoking causes cancer, but not in everybody. Just because someone does not have cancer, that does not imply that they are not a smoker.

  • rdyoung12rdyoung12 Alum Member
    edited July 2023 306 karma

    Not sure what you mean by causal but I think this will help you (from JW's vid):

    1) Sufficient satisfied: rule triggers, necessary must be satisfied

    2) Sufficient failed: rule irrelevant, necessary is free to satisfy or fail

    3) Necessary failed: rule triggers, sufficient must fail

    4) necessary satisfied: rule irrelevant, sufficient could be true or false

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