# Causes need not be physically connected to their effects **Opening (not a real abstract):** Causes need not be Physically Connected to their Effects: The Case for Negative Causation Jonathan Schaffer Negative causation occurs when an absence serves as cause, effect, or causal intermediary. Negative causation is genuine causation, or so I shall argue. It involves no physical connection between cause and effect. Thus causes need not be physically connected to their effects. **Authors:** [[Jonathan Schaffer]]