Single Idea 2429

[catalogued under 17. Mind and Body / E. Mind as Physical / 7. Anti-Physicalism / b. Multiple realisability]

Full Idea

Many physical phenomena that are often taken to be paradigms of reducibility (e.g. temperature) are in fact multiply realizable.

Gist of Idea

Temperature (etc.) is agreed to be reducible, but it is multiply realisable

Source

David J.Chalmers (The Conscious Mind [1996], n 2.20)

Book Reference

Chalmers,David J.: 'The Conscious Mind' [OUP 1997], p.364


A Reaction

So multiple realisability isn't such a big problem for physicalism. I take it, though, that all hot things have some physical type of event in common (a level of molecular energy). Finding the level of commonality is the challenge.