Physicalism Without Reductionism: Toward a Scientifically, Philosophically, and Theologically Sound Portrait of Human Nature

This essay addresses three problems facing a physicalist (as opposed to dualist) account of the person. First, how can such an account fail to be reductive if mental events are neurological events and such events are governed by natural laws? Answering this question requires a reexamination of the c...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Murphy, Nancey C. 1951- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Open Library of Humanities$s2024- 1999
In: Zygon
Year: 1999, Volume: 34, Issue: 4, Pages: 551-571
Further subjects:B Religious Experience
B supervenience
B nonreductive physicalism
B Reductionism
B Dualism
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Parallel Edition:Non-electronic
Description
Summary:This essay addresses three problems facing a physicalist (as opposed to dualist) account of the person. First, how can such an account fail to be reductive if mental events are neurological events and such events are governed by natural laws? Answering this question requires a reexamination of the concept of supervenience. Second, what is the epistemological status of nonreductive physicalism? Recent philosophy of science can be used to argue that there is reasonable scientific evidence for physicalism. Third, the soul has traditionally been seen as that which enables human beings to relate to God. What accounts for this capacity in a physicalist theory of the person? This essay argues that the same faculties that enable higher cognitive and emotional experience also account for the capacity for religious experience.
ISSN:1467-9744
Contains:Enthalten in: Zygon
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1111/0591-2385.00236