ABSTRACT
In this chapter, I discuss the role that properties play in theorizing about token causation. I argue that properties play a significant (albeit not always obvious) role. The main way in which properties are helpful to causal theorizing is that they allow us to make fine-grained causal discriminations that we wouldn’t otherwise be able to make – at least not as naturally. Those fine-grained causal discriminations are important for the sake of causal theorizing itself, but also given the conceptual link that exists between causation and moral responsibility. The chapter discusses a range of topics where properties play a central role. They include the debate over the causal relata, the debate over the transitivity of causation, the debate over an alleged asymmetry between hasteners and delayers, and the debate over switches.
