Activities are manifestations of causal powers

Gualtiero Piccinini

pp. 171-182

in: Marcus P. Adams, Zvi Biener, Uljana Feest, Jacqueline A. Sullivan (eds), Eppur si muove, Berlin, Springer, 2017

Abstract

I reduce activities to properties, where properties include causal powers. Activities are manifestations of causal powers. Activities occur when an entity's causal powers encounter partners for their manifestation. Given this reduction of activities to (manifestations of) properties, entities and properties (and their organization) are all we need for an ontology of mechanisms.