more from Donald Davidson

Single Idea 2321

[catalogued under 17. Mind and Body / D. Property Dualism / 2. Anomalous Monism]

Full Idea

Davidson takes mental anomalism (that the mind exhibits normativity and rationality), and in particular his claim that there are no laws connecting mental and physical properties, to undermine mind-body reductionism.

Gist of Idea

If rule-following and reason are 'anomalies', does that make reductionism impossible?

Source

report of Donald Davidson (Mental Events [1970]) by Jaegwon Kim - Mind in a Physical World §4 p.092

Book Reference

Kim,Jaegwon: 'Mind in the Physical World' [MIT 2000], p.92


A Reaction

A nice summary of the core idea of property dualism. Personally I expect the whole lot to be reducible, and to follow laws, but the sheer complexity of the brain permanently bars us from actually doing the reduction.