Skip to main content
Log in

Reduction, Autonomy, and Causal Exclusion Among Physical Properties

  • Published:
Synthese Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Is there a problem of causal exclusion between micro- and macro-level physical properties? I argue (following Kim) that the sorts of properties thatin fact are in competition are macro properties, viz., the property of a (macro-) system of `having such-and-such macro properties' (call this a `macro-structural property') and the property of the same system of `being constituted by such-and-such a micro-structure' (call this a `micro-structural property'). I show that there are cases where, for lack of reducibility, there is a prima facie intra-level causal competition between the two kinds of properties. The problem can be resolved without giving up on the causal efficacy of the macro-structural properties if we understandinstances of macro-structural properties to be parts ofmicro-structural property instances. The parthood relation between both kinds of property instances can bemapped onto the way physical theory deals with the relation of their descriptionsin the framework of perturbation theory. The application of this framework to theproblem of emergent properties is discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Antony, L.: 1999, 'Multiple Realizability, Projectibility, and the Reality of Mental Properties', Philosophical Topics 26

    Google Scholar 

  • Batterman, R. W.: 2000, 'Multiple Realizability and Universality', British Journal for Philosophy of Science 51

    Google Scholar 

  • Batterman, R. W.: 1995, 'Theories between Theories', Synthese 103

    Google Scholar 

  • Bedau, M. A.: 1997, 'Weak Emergence', Philosophical Perspectives 11

    Google Scholar 

  • Berry, M.: 1994, 'Asympotics, Singularities and the Reduction of Theories', Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science 9

    Google Scholar 

  • Clapp, L.: 2001, 'Disjunctive Properties: Multiple Realizations', Journal of Philosophy 98

    Google Scholar 

  • Crane, T.: 1995, 'Mental Causation', Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society 69

    Google Scholar 

  • Dretske, F.: 1993, 'Mental Events as Structuring Causes of Behaviour', in J. Heil and A. Mele (eds.), Mental Causation

    Google Scholar 

  • Heil, J.: 1999, 'Multiple Realizability', American Philosophical Quarterly 36

    Google Scholar 

  • Hinch, E. J.: 1990, Perturbation Methods

    Google Scholar 

  • Kevorkian, J. and J. D. Cole: 1996, Multiple Scale and Singular Perturbation Methods

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, J.:1989, 'Mechanism, Purpose, and Explanatory Exclusion', Philosophical Perspectives 3

  • Kim, J.: 1992, 'Downward Causation' in Emergentism and Nonreductive Physicalism', in A. Beckermann et al. (eds.), Emergence or Reduction?

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, J.: 1997, 'Does the Problem of Mental Causation Generalize?', Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society 97

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, J.: 1998, Mind in a Physical World

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, J.: 1999, 'Making Sense of Emergence', Philosophical Studies 95

    Google Scholar 

  • LePore, E. and B. Loewer: 1987, 'Mind Matters', Journal of Philosophy 86

    Google Scholar 

  • Nickles, T.: 1973, 'Two Concepts of Intertheoretic Reduction', Journal of Philosophy 70

    Google Scholar 

  • O'Connor, T.: 1994, 'Emergent Properties', American Philosophical Quarterly 31

  • Putnam, H.: 1973, 'Philosophy and our Mental Life', in H. Putnam (ed.), Mind, Language and Reality

    Google Scholar 

  • Rueger, A.: 2000a, 'Physical Emergence, Diachronic and Synchronic', Synthese 124

    Google Scholar 

  • Rueger, A.: 2000b, 'Robust Supervenience and Emergence', Philosophy of Science 67

    Google Scholar 

  • Rueger, A.: 2001, 'Explanations at Multiple Levels', Minds and Machines 11

    Google Scholar 

  • Shoemaker, S.: 1999, 'Realization and Mental Causation', Proceedings of the 20th World Congress in Philosophy

    Google Scholar 

  • Teller, P.: 1995, An Interpretive Introduction to Quantum Field Theory

    Google Scholar 

  • Yablo, S.: 1992, 'Cause and Essence', Synthese 93

    Google Scholar 

  • Yablo, S.: 1997, 'Wide Causation', Philosophical Perspectives 11

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rueger, A. Reduction, Autonomy, and Causal Exclusion Among Physical Properties. Synthese 139, 1–21 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:SYNT.0000021305.91409.d3

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:SYNT.0000021305.91409.d3

Keywords

Navigation