Cookies?
Library Header Image
LSE Research Online LSE Library Services

Non-reductive physicalism and the limits of the exclusion principle

List, Christian ORCID: 0000-0003-1627-800X and Menzies, Peter (2008) Non-reductive physicalism and the limits of the exclusion principle. . Department of Government, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK.

[img]
Preview
PDF
Download (281kB) | Preview

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)
Official URL: http://personal.lse.ac.uk/list/default.htm
Additional Information: © 2008 Christian List and Peter Menzies
Divisions: Government
Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method
CPNSS
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BC Logic
Date Deposited: 29 Jul 2008 15:43
Last Modified: 15 Sep 2023 23:11
URI: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/20118

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

View more statistics