The stratification of nature

Title: The stratification of nature
Identifier: d_2009_2013:cd9701273646:10898
identifier: 11182
Creator: Kemtrup, Kristian,
Contributor: Michael Levin
Date: 2011
Language: English
Publisher: City University of New York.
Subject: Metaphysics | Philosophy of science | Philosophy | emergence | higher-level | levels | properties | realization | reduction
Abstract: Herein, I suggest that contemporary nonreductive materialsm, the view originated by Fodor (1974) and Putnam (1975), and traditional British emergentism, the view advocated by Alexander, Morgan, and Broad, share a commitment to the existence of higher level properties. I identify all of the arguments and evidence cited in favor of belief in higher-level properties, including evidence culled from composition, multiple realization, projectable predicates, and higher-level ceteris paribus laws. Finally, I argue that all of the evidence cited in favor of the existence of higher-level properties can be explained without positing higher-level properties as long as we accept some plausible assumptions about predicates and properties, most importantly that singular predicates can pick out clusters of properties and that singular predicates can pick out different properties in different objects.
Type: dissertation
Source: 2009_2013.csv
degree: Ph.D.
Program: Philosophy