The Concept of Reduction

Buch | Hardcover
XII, 226 Seiten
2014 | 2014
Springer International Publishing (Verlag)
978-3-319-04161-2 (ISBN)

Lese- und Medienproben

The Concept of Reduction - Raphael Van Riel
53,49 inkl. MwSt
Exploring the history and role of reduction in the philosophy of science and of mind, this volume offers a new framework in which various notions of reduction can be defined, and offers a a powerful explication of an 'ontological', notion of reduction.

lt;p>This volume investigates the notion of reduction. Building on the idea that philosophers employ the term 'reduction' to reconcile diversity and directionality with unity, without relying on elimination, the book offers a powerful explication of an "ontological", notion of reduction the extension of which is (primarily) formed by properties, kinds, individuals, or processes. It argues that related notions of reduction, such as theory-reduction and functional reduction, should be defined in terms of this explication. Thereby, the book offers a coherent framework, which sheds light on the history of the various reduction debates in the philosophy of science and in the philosophy of mind, and on related topics such as reduction and unification, the notion of a scientific level, and physicalism.

The book takes its point of departure in the examination of a puzzle about reduction. To illustrate, the book takes as an example the reduction of water. If water reduces to H2O, then water is identical to H2O - thus we get unity. Unity does not come at the price of elimination - claiming that water reduces to H2O, we do not thereby claim that there is no water. But what about diversity and directionality? Intuitively, there should be a difference between water and H2O, such that we get diversity. This is required for there to be directionality: in a sense, if water reduces to H2O, then H2O is prior to, or more basic than water. At least, if water reduces to H2O, then H2O does not reduce to water. But how can this be, if water is identical to H2O? The book shows that the application of current models of reduction does not solve this puzzle, and proposes a new coherent definition, according to which unity is tied to identity, diversity is descriptive in nature, and directionality is the directionality of explanation.

Preface.- Chapter 1. Introduction.- Part 1. The Concept of Reduction-An Explication.- Chapter 2. How to Approach Reduction: Explication and Meta-Science.- Chapter 3. The Puzzle of Reduction.- Chapter 4. Reductive Explanation and Mechanistic Explanation.- Chapter 5. Reductive Explanation.- Part 2. The Explication at Work.- Chapter 6. Reduction in the Philosophy of Mind.- Chapter 7. Conceptions of Reduction in the Philosophy of Science.- Chapter 8. Theory Reduction and Holism.- Chapter 9. Reduction Beyond the Reduction Debate.- Chapter 10. The Reductionist's Commitment.

Erscheint lt. Verlag 6.3.2014
Reihe/Serie Philosophical Studies Series
Zusatzinfo XII, 226 p. 3 illus.
Verlagsort Cham
Sprache englisch
Maße 155 x 235 mm
Gewicht 526 g
Themenwelt Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Allgemeines / Lexika
Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Erkenntnistheorie / Wissenschaftstheorie
Mathematik / Informatik Mathematik
Schlagworte Conceptions of Reduction in the Philosophy of Scie • Conceptions of Reduction in the Philosophy of Science • Definition Reduction • Functional Reduction • How to Approach Reduction • Hyper-Intensionality • Identity in Mechanistic Explanation • Mechanistic Explanation • Metaphysical dependence • Metaphysical Explanation • Metaphysics • Naturalism • Non-Reductive Physicalism • Ontological Reduction • Physicalism • Reduction in the Philosophy of Mind • reductionism • Reduction Water H2O • Reductive Explanation • Scientific Levels • Scientific Reduction • Theory Reduction • Token Identity Theory • Type-Identity Theory • Ways of defining reduction
ISBN-10 3-319-04161-4 / 3319041614
ISBN-13 978-3-319-04161-2 / 9783319041612
Zustand Neuware
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