Conference paper abstract, A. Theodore Izmaylov, 2024.
Keywords: nonreductive physicalism; nonreductive individualism; autonomy of special sciences; weak emergence; computational complexity
Nonreductive physicalism and nonreductive individualism claim that only physical/individual exists, mental/social supervenes on it, yet higher level is autonomous. Such hierarchy of sciences require casual closure of each level, unplausible for cognitive science. Both are critisised for being either epiphenominalist or dualist, either allowing for reduction or lacking real downward causal powers. I expand on Bedau’s weak emergence and address these issues by introducing the argument based on asymmetrical computational complexity of reduction vs downward casual laws, allowing for in-principle autonomous special sciences without the need for the incoherent multilevel supervenience, denying bridge laws or requiring causal closure of each.
The fifth conference of the East European Network for Philosophy of Science, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland. 2024, September 10th.