the function of my head is to ache in the morning - Phil Lord

Larry Wright says that the function of X is Z and this means: X is there because it does Z; Z is a consequence (or result) of X's being there. The heart is there because it pumps blood, and pumping blood is a consequence of the heart being there. But this doesn't work for "the heart makes pumping noises", as the heart isn't there to make pumping noises. Therefore you need some refinements. - Allyson Lister

although the heart is there because it grew; it don't pump blood when you are dead - Phil Lord

Blog post: http://themindwobbles.wordpress.com/2009... - Allyson Lister

What does Larry say "because" means ;-) - Alan Ruttenberg

@Alan: For him, "because" is a causal relation. So, hearts pump blood (now), and hearts' pumping blood (in the past) causes hearts to exist now. - Robert Hoehndorf

Does he give conditions for when causation exists? - Alan Ruttenberg

that be-"cause" is a "caus"al relation doesn't add anything - Alan Ruttenberg

Larry Wright does not say anything more about causation, he uses it as a primitive relation. Although we seem to have good intuitions about causation, in philosophy, there are probably more theories of causation than there are philosophers. So I agree, this remains a weak point in any definition of function that uses "causation". - Robert Hoehndorf