The Journal of Philosophy

Volume 116, Issue 11, November 2019

Isaac Wilhelm
Pages 615-636

The Ontology of Mechanisms

I propose a metaphysical theory of mechanisms based on the notion of causation. In particular, I use causation to formulate existence, identity, and parthood conditions for mechanisms. These conditions provide a sound metaphysical basis for accounts of mechanistic explanation, mechanistic organization, and for more restrictive theories of mechanisms.