Knowledge Tree
Mental causation
Facts (31)
Sources
Quantum Approaches to Consciousness plato.stanford.edu Nov 30, 2004 6 facts
claimJohn Eccles proposed that the fundamentally indeterministic nature of individual quantum state collapses in the brain provides an entry point for mental causation, allowing mental powers to influence brain states.
claimWigner, Stapp, and Beck and Eccles argue that the ontic randomness of quantum events provides room for mental causation, allowing conscious mental acts to influence brain behavior.
claimFriedrich Beck and John Eccles' approach to consciousness focuses primarily on brain states and brain dynamics, with the exception of John Eccles' specific ideas regarding mental causation.
claimThe approach to consciousness by Penrose and Hameroff focuses on state collapse, specifically emphasizing the non-computability of certain conscious acts rather than mental causation.
claimThe approach by Beck and Eccles applies standard quantum mechanics to the process of exocytosis, but it does not solve the problem of how the activity of single synapses enters the dynamics of neural assemblies, and it leaves mental causation of quantum processes as a mere claim.
claimMax Velmans suggested a move related to the Pauli-Jung proposal regarding mental causation, independent of quantum theory, in his 2002 and 2009 publications.
Dualism (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy/Winter 2016 Edition) plato.stanford.edu Aug 19, 2003 3 facts
claimP. M. Pietroski authored 'Mental causation for dualists', published in Mind and Language in 1994.
claimPhilosophical concepts related to the mind-body problem include behaviorism, consciousness, eliminative materialism, epiphenomenalism, functionalism, identity theory, intentionality, mental causation, neutral monism, and physicalism.
referenceE. J. Lowe authored the article 'Non-Cartesian substance dualism and the problem of mental causation', published in the journal Erkenntnis in 2006.
Non-physicalist Theories of Consciousness cambridge.org Dec 20, 2023 3 facts
claimHåkon Hoffart created the illustration of mental causation labeled as Figure 3.
claimThere are four possible positions on mental causation: interactionism (which implies violation of physical causal closure), epiphenomenalism, overdetermination, and physicalism.
procedureThe argument for physicalism regarding mental causation consists of four premises: 1. Physical causal closure (every physical effect has a sufficient physical cause), 2. Non-epiphenomenalism (conscious states have physical effects), 3. Non-overdetermination (physical effects of conscious states do not have more than one sufficient cause), and 4. Physicalism (conscious states are physical).
Quantum Approaches to Consciousness plato.stanford.edu Nov 30, 2004 3 facts
claimRoger Penrose and Stuart Hameroff propose that conscious acts are non-computable, shifting the focus from mental causation to the non-computability of consciousness.
claimThe quantum consciousness approach by Friedrich Beck and John Eccles fails to explain how the activity of single synapses influences the dynamics of neural assemblies and leaves the mental causation of quantum processes as an unproven claim.
claimHenry Stapp and the team of Friedrich Beck and John Eccles propose that the ontic randomness of quantum events provides a mechanism for mental causation, allowing conscious mental acts to influence brain activity.
Panpsychism - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org 3 facts
perspectiveProponents of panpsychism, particularly those with neutral monist tendencies, argue that the problem of mental causation is a false dichotomy because mind and matter are two sides of the same coin, and mental causation is merely the extrinsic description of intrinsic properties of mind.
claimPhilosophers such as David Chalmers argue that theories of consciousness must provide insight into the brain and mind to avoid the problem of mental causation.
referenceRobert Howell discusses the problems Russellian monists face regarding mental causation in his 2014 paper 'The Russellian Monist's Problems with Mental Causation' published in The Philosophical Quarterly.
The Hard Problem of Consciousness | Springer Nature Link link.springer.com 2 facts
PANPSYCHISM (Philosophy of Mind Series) - Amazon.com amazon.com 2 facts
quoteTalliaferro argues 'for the epistemic primacy of the mental and for our primary awareness and exercise of mental causation.'
quoteTalliaferro suggests that the proper way to approach mental-physical causation is to assume that we grasp mental causation rather than assuming a foundational, primary understanding of physical causation.
Non-Reductive Physicalism - Theories of Consciousness theoriesofconsciousness.com 2 facts
quoteGeorge Ellis stated: "Mental causation is real because mental states are patterns in physical systems that can influence subsequent physical states through their organizational properties."
claimNon-reductive physicalism preserves mental causation by accounting for how thoughts and intentions can cause actions without requiring magical intervention in physical processes.
Panpsychism - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy plato.stanford.edu Jul 18, 2017 1 fact
claimRussellian monism is a contemporary philosophical position that utilizes the panpsychist view of consciousness as an intrinsic nature of matter to address mental causation.
Cross-Cultural Approaches to Consciousness: Mind, Nature, and ... amazon.com 1 fact
quoteSwami Medhananda, a Senior Research Fellow in Philosophy at the Ramakrishna Institute of Moral and Spiritual Education in India, stated: 'Philosophers have only recently begun to recognize the need for a truly global approach to consciousness. Cross-Cultural Approaches to Consciousness makes a valuable and timely contribution to the nascent cosmopolitan movement within consciousness studies. Addressing an impressive array of global philosophical traditions and topics as varied as mental causation, panpsychism, idealism, and illusionism, this volume is essential reading for anyone interested in cutting-edge, cross-cultural inquiry into the nature of consciousness.'
Unknown source 1 fact
quoteSwami Medhananda, a Senior Research Fellow in Philosophy at the Ramakrishna Institute of Moral and Spiritual Education in India, stated: 'Philosophers have only recently begun to recognize the need for a truly global approach to consciousness. Cross-Cultural Approaches to Consciousness makes a valuable and timely contribution to the nascent cosmopolitan movement within consciousness studies. Addressing an impressive array of global philosophical traditions and topics as varied as mental causation, panpsychism, idealism, and illusionism, this volume is essential reading for anyone interested in cutting-edge, cross-cultural inquiry into the nature of consciousness.'
Quantum Approaches to Consciousness plato.stanford.edu Nov 30, 2004 1 fact
claimVelmans (2002, 2009) suggested a move related to psychophysically neutral activity and mental causation, independent of quantum theory.
Panpsychism (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy/Fall 2025 Edition) plato.stanford.edu May 23, 2001 1 fact
claimDavid Chalmers and Philip Goff identify the need to account for mental causation within the causal closure of the physical—the thesis that every physical event has a sufficient physical cause—as a motivation for panpsychism.
Cross-Cultural Approaches to Consciousness: Mind, Nature, and ... books.google.com 1 fact
claim'Cross-Cultural Approaches to Consciousness: Mind, Nature, and Ultimate Reality' analyzes debates regarding consciousness, ultimate reality, emergence, mental causation, realism, idealism, panpsychism, and illusionism through the lens of East and South-East Asian philosophies, specifically Buddhism and Vedanta.
The function(s) of consciousness: an evolutionary perspective frontiersin.org Nov 25, 2024 1 fact
referenceLacalli (2024) examines mental causation from an evolutionary perspective.