Mental Causation and Mental Properties

Dialectica 59 (1):5-18 (2005)
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Abstract

The aim of this paper is to defend the causal homogeneity of functional, mental properties against Kim's attack. It is argued that token identity is sufficient for mental causation, that token identity implies a sort of functional reduction, but that nonetheless functional, mental properties can be causally homogeneous despite being multiply realizable: multiple composition is sufficient for multiple realizability, but multiple composition does not prevent the realizers from having their pertinent effects in common. Thus, the causal exclusion problem provides no argument for abandoning the position that there are functional, mental properties that are natural kind properties.

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Michael Esfeld
University of Lausanne

Citations of this work

Mechanisms, determination and the metaphysics of neuroscience.Patrice Soom - 2012 - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences 43 (3):655-664.
Mental causation, compatibilism and counterfactuals.Dwayne Moore - 2017 - Canadian Journal of Philosophy 47 (1):20-42.

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Sensations and brain processes.Jjc Smart - 1959 - Philosophical Review 68 (April):141-56.
Mental causation.Stephen Yablo - 1992 - Philosophical Review 101 (2):245-280.
Is there a fundamental level?Jonathan Schaffer - 2003 - Noûs 37 (3):498–517.
Making sense of emergence.Jaegwon Kim - 1999 - Philosophical Studies 95 (1-2):3-36.

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