Slide 1-9

Two styles of explanation could be invoked. One explains a phenomenon by appeal to the next lower level of molarity. Empirical reductionism appeals to the brain to explain a behavior. Nonempirical reductionism appeals to an entity such as the mind as an explanatory anchor or causal entity.

A fundamentally different explanatory style appeals to phenomena at the same level of molarity as the behavior to be explained. Because the cause of reductionistic changes must eventuate back in the environment sooner or later, correlative explanations could be seen as simply cutting out the middleman.

The important point here is whether or not anything is added by the reductionistic causal entity, not whether or not causes are ultimately in the environment

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Date Last Reviewed : May 14, 2025