Repository | Journal | Volume | Articles
(2016) Synthese 193 (2).
Mapping the mind
bridge laws and the psycho-neural interface
Marco J. Nathan, Guillermo Del Pinal
pp. 637-657
Recent advancements in the brain sciences have enabled researchers to determine, with increasing accuracy, patterns and locations of neural activation associated with various psychological functions. These techniques have revived a longstanding debate regarding the relation between the mind and the brain: while many authors claim that neuroscientific data can be employed to advance theories of higher cognition, others defend the so-called ‘autonomy’ of psychology. Settling this significant issue requires understanding the nature of the bridge laws used at the psycho-neural interface. While these laws have been the topic of extensive discussion, such debates have mostly focused on a particular type of link: reductive laws. Reductive laws are problematic: they face notorious philosophical objections and they are too scarce to substantiate current research at the intersection of psychology and neuroscience. The aim of this article is to provide a systematic analysis of a different kind of bridge laws—associative laws—which play a central, albeit overlooked role in scientific practice.
Publication details
DOI: 10.1007/s11229-015-0769-2
Full citation:
Nathan, M. J. , Del Pinal, G. (2016). Mapping the mind: bridge laws and the psycho-neural interface. Synthese 193 (2), pp. 637-657.
This document is unfortunately not available for download at the moment.