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    A dharma's activity (horizontal causality) individuates t... — Carmelics
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    A dharma's activity (horizontal causality) individuates that dharma as a particular event of its kind.

    Causation
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    1 reason for
    2 reasons against

    Reasons For

    1 perspective
    Reason for
    ?
    • 1.Activity is a dharma's function of precipitating the next moment of its own consciousness series.
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    • 2.To be present is to have horizontal causality.
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    • 3.Primary existents are individuated in terms of what they do.
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    Reasons Against

    2 perspectives
    Reason against 1 of 2
    ?
    • 1.Individuation requires qualitative distinctness, not merely causal role; two dharmas of identical type in the same series perform identical causal functions yet remain numerically distinct.
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    • 2.If horizontal causality individuates, co-occurring dharmas of the same kind sharing the same causal output cannot be distinguished, generating a regress or collapse into monism.
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    Reason against 2 of 2
    ?
    • 1.Vasubandhu's Abhidharmakośa establishes that own-nature (svabhāva), not causal activity, is the primary criterion of dharma identity, making activity derivative rather than individuating.
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    • 2.Activity presupposes an already-individuated entity whose causal powers are its own; causality thus tracks individuation rather than constituting it.
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    Topics

    Personal IdentityCausation

    Connections

    2 topics

    Consciousness & Mind1 linkedModality & Possibility1 linked

    Related

    Activity is a dharma's function of precipitating the next moment of its own cons...Activity presupposes an already-individuated entity whose causal powers are its ...If horizontal causality individuates, co-occurring dharmas of the same kind shar...Individuation requires qualitative distinctness, not merely causal role; two dha...
    +3 moreShow less
    Primary existents are individuated in terms of what they do.To be present is to have horizontal causality.Vasubandhu's Abhidharmakośa establishes that own-nature (svabhāva), not causal a...

    Similar

    Vertical causality manifests a dharma's unique quality and intensity o...89%A dharma's capability (vertical causality) further individuates that d...88%Capability (vertical causality) generates effects different from the n...86%Vertical causality locates a dharma within the web of interrelations c...85%

    Source

    AI-extracted1/3 agreementValid
    SEP: abhidharma
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    The Sarvāstivāda-Vaibhāṣika distinction between a dharma’s activity and capability implies that each dharma or consciousness moment effects the next moment within its series, but it can also act as a contributory condition towards producing a different sort of effect. Activity engenders the next moment within a dharma’s series, while capability generates a different effect and explains the causal efficacy of past dharmas. Williams (1981, 246–247) helpfully notes that we may render this “horizont
    Extraction notes

    Validity: Extracted via Max plan + API grounding/validity checks

    Details

    Type
    claim
    Perspectives
    3 (1 for, 2 against)
    Edits
    1 edit