Causal Interpretations of Correlations between Neural and Conscious Events

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In this Subject: Psychology ,&nbsp; Political Science
By this author: Birnbacher, Dieter

Author: Birnbacher, Dieter

Source: Journal of Consciousness Studies, Volume 13, Numbers 1-2, 2006 , pp. 115-128(14)

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Abstract:

The contribution argues that causal interpretations of empirical correlations between neural and conscious events are meaningful even if not fully verifiable and that there are reasons in favour of an epiphenomenalist construction of psychophysical causality. It is suggested that an account of causality can be given that makes interactionism, epiphenomenalism and Leibnizian parallelism semantically distinct interpretations of the phenomena. Though neuroscience cannot strictly prove or rule out any one of these interpretations it can be argued that methodological principles favour a causal interpretation on epiphenomenalist lines, both for reasons of metaphysical parsimony and for reasons of coherence with established physical principles such as the conservation of energy. In the concluding chapter, some of the philosophical and the empirical challenges following from this model are outlined, the most important being closer scrutiny of the neurophysiological processes accompanying conscious volition.

Document Type: Research article

Publication date: 2006-01-01