Difference-Making without Making a Difference

Sander Beckers

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arXiv · 2606.24832

Difference-Making without Making a Difference

Sander Beckers

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Abstract

Over a series of seven papers, Andreas & G\"unther have introduced seven definitions of actual causation and have classified them as belonging to three different, competing, types of accounts: factual difference-making, counterfactual difference-making, and regularity-based. I show that their most recent - factual difference-making - definition instantiates all three types, thereby proving that these are distinctions without a difference. I further compare their novel account to the other six accounts on several crucial examples, revealing that this undermines all seven of their accounts.

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Sander Beckers. 2026-06-23. Difference-Making without Making a Difference. https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.24832

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