Powers and tendencies re-visited

Fleetwood, Steve

Abstract

Whilst powers and tendencies are amongst the most fundamental concepts of critical realism, there are several problems with these concepts that have been ignored, avoided or glossed. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to tease out these problems and provide clarification and consistency where possible. The first part of the paper sketches the existing critical realist conceptualisation of tendencies by identifying eight distinct moments in a causal chain, denoted tendency1 to tendency8. Part two asks: Is there a difference between powers and tendencies? The answer, controversially perhaps, is: ‘No’. Part three asks: What is the difference between tendency1 and tendency2? The answer considers two possible arguments accounting for the difference, and initiates a re-think of some of the terminology used to discuss tendencies as distinct moments in a causal chain. The paper concludes by raising the possibility that tendencies or powers are not of an either/or, discrete, dichotomous or discontinuous nature, but are continuous. This raises the further possibility that powers or tendencies can come in stronger and weaker forms.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 1, 2009
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2011
• Deposit Date: Sep 21, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 27, 2016
• Journal: Journal of Critical Realism
• Print ISSN: 1476-7430
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 10
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 80-99
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1558/jcr.v10i1.80
• Keywords: critical realism, ontology, powers, tendencies, laws
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/968222
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1558/jcr.v10i1.80
• Additional Information: Additional Information : This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of Critical Realism in 2011, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1558/jcr.v10i1.80
• Contract Date: Sep 21, 2016