Burge on Mental Causation
Burge on Mental Causation

Summary/Abstract: The article discusses Tyler Burge’s views concerning the debate about the causal efficacy of mental properties, as found in his article “Mind-Body Causation and Explanatory Practice.” Burge argues that a proper understanding of kind-individuation and causal explanation in science gives strong prima facie reasons for believing that mental and physical properties are not mutually exclusive. He does so by analysing the strength of two metaphysical theses which standardly underlie the debate— token physicalism and the “Completeness of physics.” I present his analysis and argue that without an account of mental causation, his analysis does not support the conclusion that mental and physical properties are not mutually exclusive. Also, I question the methodological adequacy of Burge’s analysis for scientific practice.

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