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Mental causation slide_upload_2012

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Mental Causation
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Page 1: Mental causation slide_upload_2012

Mental Causation

Page 2: Mental causation slide_upload_2012

Causation: The Problem

We find the idea of causation in nearly every area of human thought and activity, e.g., what is cause of AIDs? cause of motion? cause of behavior? cause of that car crash? cause of any mental state?

But what is causation? After all, lots of things are correlated in the world; not all correlations are instances of causings, e.g., Venutian sea levels are correlated with British bread prices.

Page 3: Mental causation slide_upload_2012

Since the 1950s, both the atmospheric CO2 level

and crime levels have increased sharply. Strong Correlation.

Hence, atmospheric CO2 causes crime.

Page 4: Mental causation slide_upload_2012

Causality

Causality is the relationship between cause and effect.

The philosophical concept of causality or causation refers to the set of all particular "causal" or "cause-and-effect" relations

Page 5: Mental causation slide_upload_2012

Causality

Causality postulates that there are laws by which the occurrence of an entity B of a certain class depends on the occurrence of an entity A of another class, where the word entity means any physical object, phenomenon, situation, or event. A is called the cause, B the effect.

"Antecedence postulates that the cause must be prior to, or at least simultaneous with, the effect.

Page 6: Mental causation slide_upload_2012

WHAT KIND OF MENTAL CAUSATION?

PHYSICAL MENTAL

MENTAL

PHYSICAL

WHAT ELSE???

Page 7: Mental causation slide_upload_2012

MENTAL CAUSATION

MENTAL REALISM

EPIPHENOMENALISM

Page 8: Mental causation slide_upload_2012

WHY IMPORTANT?

The possibility of mental causation influences the ways we think of the mind

Mind-body interaction is a necessary part of our concept/understanding of AGENCY

An agent is someone with the capacity to perform actions

Traditionally, agency is possible only if mental causation possible

Page 9: Mental causation slide_upload_2012
Page 10: Mental causation slide_upload_2012

Problems with Dualism

Hard to see how they could causally interact

There is a lack of interface where causal relations could occur

A Cartesian mind could not affect the body

Page 11: Mental causation slide_upload_2012

Problems with Cartesian Dualism (I)

It's mysterious what the "mind substance" is. What it’s not:

• Not made of matter• Not located in space• Not ‘extended’• ...

Page 12: Mental causation slide_upload_2012

Problems with Cartesian Dualism (II)

It’s a mystery how minds can interact causally with things made of matter.

Mental causing physical:

I’m going to raise my arm.

Causes

Mental substance (mind) Matter

Page 13: Mental causation slide_upload_2012

Problems with Cartesian Dualism (II)

Physical causing mental:

Sound experienc

e

sound waves

Causes

Page 14: Mental causation slide_upload_2012

Problems with Cartesian Dualism (III)

Are dualism and gradual evolution consistent?

??

Page 15: Mental causation slide_upload_2012

“Materialist” solutions to the Mind – Body Problem

Materialism: The claim that everything in the universe is made up of matter.

Page 16: Mental causation slide_upload_2012

The advance of materialism The advance of science has made materialism look very plausible to

many philosophers & scientists. Astronomy: The heavenly bodies are made of matter and obey

the laws of physics.

earth

“heavens”

Page 17: Mental causation slide_upload_2012

The advance of materialism

Evolutionary biology: No non-material processes or forces (e.g. God) are needed to explain the design in the biological world.

Spooky stuff?

Spooky stuff?

Page 18: Mental causation slide_upload_2012

The advance of materialism

Advances in physiology & understanding the genetic code: There is no need for a “life force” ("elan vital").

“life force”

“life force”

Live tiger

Dead tiger


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