Toward Ultimate Factors in Ordinary Affairs
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Each proximate factor (proximate cause) is an effect. From the above it is known that each effect is the result of a set of proximate factors.
This establishes cascading expanding layers of deeper causation.
Each layer is described by answering the question, "What are the factors that affected each and every attribute of the effect being considered?"
By continuing to answer that question at deeper and deeper levels one approaches the ultimate factors.
Effect<--Proximate Factors<--Deeper Factors....<--Ultimate Factors
"Ultimate factors" are sometimes called "root causes."
Read more about this topic: Proximate And Ultimate Causation
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