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Journal Articles International Studies in the Philosophy of Science Year : 1999

Multiple Realization, Reduction and Mental Properties

Max Kistler

Abstract

The paper tries to remove some obstacles standing in the way of considering mental properties as both genuine natural kinds and causally efficacious rather than epiphenomena. As the case of temperature shows, it isn't justified to conclude from a property's being multiply realizable to its being irreducible. Yet Kim's (1992) argument to the effect that if a property is multiply realizable with a heterogeneous reduction base then it can't be a natural kind and possesses only derivative "epiphenomenal" causal efficacy isn't conclusive either. The fact that temperature is, but jade is not, a natural kind cannot be established by comparing the heterogeneity of their respective reduction bases, but rather by the fact that the former is and the latter isn't embedded in laws of nature.

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Dates and versions

ijn_00000017 , version 1 (12-06-2002)

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  • HAL Id : ijn_00000017 , version 1

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Max Kistler. Multiple Realization, Reduction and Mental Properties. International Studies in the Philosophy of Science, 1999, 13 (2), pp.135-149. ⟨ijn_00000017⟩
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