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Author Harbecke, Jens.

Title Mental causation : investigating the mind's powers in a natural world / Jens Harbecke
Published Frankfurt ; New Brunswick : Ontos Verlag, 2008

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Description 1 online resource (434 pages) : illustrations
Series Metaphysical research ; Bd. 8
Metaphysical research ; Bd. 8.
Contents Table of contents -- Acknowledgements -- Introduction -- Chapter 1The Problem of Mental Causation: premises andcentral principles -- 1.1 Formulations of the Problem -- 1.2 Supervenience -- 1.3 Multiple realization and functional states -- 1.4 Epiphenomena and the Eleatic Principle -- 1.5 Theoretical economy and explanatory strength -- 1.6 The neutrality of the Problem -- Chapter 2Canonical solutions to the Problem -- 2.1 Dualism -- 2.2 Physicalism -- 2.3 Special cases -- 2.4 Summary and conclusion -- Chapter 3New compatibilism and mental causation
3.1 The “constitutionalist� approach3.2 The “determinationist� approach -- 3.3 Theories inspired by the “determinationist� approach -- 3.4 Critique -- 3.5 Summary and conclusion -- Chapter 4Open solutions -- 4.1 Introductory remarks -- 4.2 Reviewing the solutions -- 4.3 Overdeterminationism Lite pursued -- 4.4 Plural Determinism pursued -- 4.5 Overdeterminationism Lite vs. Plural Determinism -- 4.6 Summary and Conclusion -- Bibliography
Summary This work is a systematic investigation of a range of solutions offered today for the philosophical problem of mental causation. The premises constituting the problem are analyzed before a survey is developed of the most popular theories on mental causation. It is demonstrated in detail why most of these canonical solutions must be considered deficient. In a third part, the 'new compatibilist's' approach to mental causation is explored, which is characterized by assertion of a non-identity-but-non-distinctness principle. The last part aims to offer an alternative solution to the problem. On the basis of a certain set of counterfactual conditionals, which are jointly taken to provide a definition of 'causal proportionality' that improves the existing definitions, it is shown that a specific, and hitherto widely neglected, version of causal overdeterminationism must be considered the most successful solution to the problem of mental causation
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index
Subject Philosophy of mind.
Causation.
PHILOSOPHY -- Movements -- Humanism.
Causation
Philosophy of mind
Form Electronic book
ISBN 9783110324846
3110324849
3938793945
9783938793947
3110324490
9783110324495