Definitions HQ

Causality (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a completely useless concept which, linguistically, we do not know how to rid ourselves of.

Causality (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠merely a manner of speech to think in terms of sequence, reciprocity, relativity, constraint, number, law, freedom, motive, and purpose. As such, there are no causes and no effects but instead only total lawlessness, governed only by the unfettered assertions of wills.

Causality (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a concept that should only be used as a conventional fiction for the purpose of designation and mutual understanding, not for explanation.

Causality (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a phenomena whereby the cause is our feeling of power resulting from the so-called act of our will and the effect is the superstition that this feeling of power is the motive itself.

Causality (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a relationship that is reversed in dreams: A bell is incorporated into the dream such that we experience the cause 'first' and then the sound : This is the way primitives were in their waking state.

Causality (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠wrongheaded mythology when it is taken up as a kind of mechanistic and materialistic and given explanatory power. Instead, the terms should be used only as pure conceptions, that is to say, as conventional fictions for the purpose of designation and mutual understanding.

Causality (n.) shrinks ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠morality the more it is understood: every real cause discovered destroys countless imaginary ones on which customs were founded.

Causality (n.) as ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a law is a very well acquired habit of belief, so much a part of us that not believing it would destroy the race — but as if the preservation of man were a proof of truth!

Causality (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠believed in so firmly not from a habit of seeing sequences but from our inability to interpret events except as caused by intentions — belief in the subject.

Causality (n.) as ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠an instinct is only fear of the unfamiliar — a search not for causes but for the familiar; as soon as we are shown something old in the new, we are calmed.

Causality (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠believed in so strongly not from the habit of seeing one thing follow another but from our incapacity to imagine anything happening without intentions.

Causality (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠no sense we possess — the supposed instinct for causality is only the fear of the unaccustomed and the search for something familiar.