List, Christian and Menzies, Peter (2008) Non-reductive physicalism and the limits of the exclusion principle. Government Department, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK. (Unpublished)
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Abstract
It is often argued that higher-level special-science properties cannot be causally efficacious since the lower-level physical properties on which they supervene are doing all the causal work. This claim is usually derived from an exclusion principle stating that if a higherlevel property F supervenes on a physical property F* that is causally sufficient for a property G, then F cannot cause G. We employ an account of causation as differencemaking to show that the truth or falsity of this principle is a contingent matter and derive necessary and sufficient conditions under which a version of it holds. We argue that one important instance of the principle, far from undermining non-reductive physicalism, actually supports the causal autonomy of certain higher-level properties.
| Item Type: | Monograph (Working Paper) |
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| Official URL: | http://personal.lse.ac.uk/list/default.htm |
| Additional Information: | © 2008 Christian List and Peter Menzies |
| Library of Congress subject classification: | B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BC Logic |
| Sets: | Departments > Government Departments > Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method Research centres and groups > Centre for Philosophy of Natural and Social Science (CPNSS) |
| Date Deposited: | 29 Jul 2008 15:43 |
| URL: | http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/20118/ |
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