creators_name: Raatikainen, Panu
type: conference_item
datestamp: 2009-03-15
lastmod: 2010-10-07 15:17:46
metadata_visibility: show
title: Causation, Exclusion, and the Special Sciences
subjects: reductionism-holism
full_text_status: public
keywords: downward causation, causal exclusion, mental causation, interventionist theory of causation
abstract: The issue of downward causation (and mental causation in particular), and the exclusion problem is discussed by taking into account some recent advances in the philosophy of science. The problem is viewed from the perspective of the new interventionist theory of causation developed by Woodward. It is argued that from this viewpoint, a higher-level (e.g., mental) state can sometimes truly be causally relevant, and moreover, that the underlying physical state which realizes it may fail to be such. 
date: 2009
date_type: published
citation: Raatikainen, Panu (2009) Causation, Exclusion, and the Special Sciences. In: [2008] Reduction and the Special Sciences (Tilburg, April 10-12, 2008) <http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/view/confandvol/2008RSSTilburg2008.html>.
document_url: http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/4521/1/Causation%2C_Exclusion_and_the_Special_Sciences.pdf