This book presents the latest research, conducted by leading philosophers and scientists from various fields, on the topic of top-down causation. The chapters combine to form a unique, interdisciplinary perspective, drawing upon George Ellis's extensive research and novel perspectives on topics including downwards causation, weak and strong emergence, mental causation, biological relativity, effective field theory and levels in nature. The collection also serves as a Festschrift in honour of George Ellis' 80th birthday. The extensive and interdisciplinary scope of this book makes it vital reading for anyone interested in the work of George Ellis and current research on the topics of causation and emergence.
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Part I Applications of George Ellis's Theory of Causation |
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1 Physical, Logical, and Mental Top-Down Effects |
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3 | (36) |
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2 Making Sense of Top-Down Causation: Universality and Functional Equivalence in Physics and Biology |
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39 | (26) |
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3 Mathematics and Measurement: Causation and the Mind |
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65 | (14) |
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Part II The View from Physics |
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4 Strong Emergence in Condensed Matter Physics |
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79 | (22) |
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5 On the Topic of Emergence from an Effective Field Theory Perspective |
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101 | (16) |
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Part III The View from the Life Sciences |
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6 The Principle of Biological Relativity: Origins and Current Status |
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117 | (18) |
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7 A Macro Agent and Its Actions |
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135 | (22) |
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8 Physics, Determinism, and the Brain |
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157 | (60) |
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Part IV The Debate on Top-Down Causation and Emergence |
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9 Downward Causation Defended |
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217 | (36) |
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10 A Pragmatist Perspective on Causation, Laws and Explanation |
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253 | (16) |
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11 Top-Down Causation Without Levels |
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269 | (28) |
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12 Causation as a High-Level Affair |
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297 | (8) |
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13 Models of Downward Causation |
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305 | (24) |
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14 Responses to Part I: Applications of George Ellis's Theory of Causation |
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329 | (16) |
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15 Response to Part II: The View from Physics |
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345 | (18) |
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16 Response to Part III: The View from the Life Sciences |
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363 | (14) |
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17 Response to Part IV: The Debate on Top-Down Causation and Emergence |
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377 | |
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Jan Voosholz is a PhD candidate in philosophy and research associate at the Center for Science and Thought, Universität Bonn. His research focuses on questions of ontology, epistemology and philosophy of science. In his PhD project, he strives to understand the consequences of Quentin Meillassoux's speculative realism and Markus Gabriel's new realism for the philosophy of science in general and the debate concerning realism and antirealism in particular. For research stays, he has spent time at the Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, and received a M.A. in philosophy and a B.A. in history from the Freie Universität Berlin. Markus Gabriel is professor for philosophy at the Univeristät Bonn, holding the chair for epistemology, modern and contemporary philosophy. In ontology, he has been one of the frontline proponents of new realism, with his fields of sense ontology widely regarded as a key innovation in theoretical philosophy, worked extensively in epistemology and pioneered neo-existentialism in philosophy of mind. Apart from this, aesthetics, philosophy of religion, German idealism (most prominently Schelling), ancient philosophy, as well as philosophy of the 20th century can be counted amongst his areas of expertise. He was professor at the New School for Social Research, New York, and visiting professor at various universities, for instance Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, University of California Berkeley, Universidade Federal do Cearį Fortaleza, and many others. He is head of the International Centre for Philosophy NRW and the Center for Science and Thought at the Universität Bonn.
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