Selfcausation

Self-causation refers to the idea that an entity or event can be the cause of itself. In philosophy and related disciplines, it raises questions about the directionality and grounding of causal relations, which are typically understood as proceeding from earlier to later states. Self-causation is most often discussed in two forms: causal loops in time travel and metaphysical self-causes that are not temporally ordered.

In discussions of time travel, a causal loop occurs when A causes B and B, in turn, causes A. This creates a loop where the initial condition is itself produced by its own later effect. The bootstrap paradox is a thought experiment in which information or objects exist solely because of signals or events that originate from their own future occurrences. Critics argue such loops undermine explanatory ground or require violations of causal priority, while proponents view them as logically coherent possibilities within self-consistent timelines.

In physics, some refer to self-interaction or self-force as a form of self-causation, where an entity influences itself through fields or internal processes. Examples include radiation reaction in classical electrodynamics, though these are typically handled within established causal frameworks and do not imply time-travel-like loops.

In philosophy, self-causation challenges standard accounts of contingency, grounding, and the principle that causes precede their effects. Many philosophers hold that genuine self-causation is either impossible or requires a broader account of causation, such as non-temporal grounding or deterministic loops that avoid paradoxes.