Philosophers find new ways to defend the mind's causal power
A review of recent philosophical work suggests that non-physical minds can causally influence the body—overturning a long-standing objection to dualism. The findings matter for policy debates over consciousness, AI ethics, and how we define human agency in law and medicine.
Originaltitel: Dualist approaches to mental causation
<p>Dualists take the mind to be non-physical. Their position is widely taken to preclude causal interactions between the mind and the body. Not only do causal interactions across the physical and non-physical boundary appear mysterious, the physical realm also appears to be self-sufficient in a way that leaves no room for non-physical causes. I review recent work that pushes back against both appearances and aims to defend the possibility of dualist mental causation. I distinguish two families of approaches: those who deny the self-sufficiency of the physical and those who embrace it. I discuss the advantages and challenges of both strategies and suggest that embracing physical self-sufficiency is the more promising path for the dualist.</p>