Philosophical Reflections on the Status of Cognitive Science

摘要

There are further methodological issues concerning the thesis of downward causation and the explanatory/causal efficacy of consciousness. There is no space here to discuss them in any detail. However, I should note that on both issues there are reasons for skepticism. In my view, it is not possible, scientifically or physically, to make an intelligible sense of the idea of downward causation. Moreover, allowing consciousness a causal/explanatory role in cognitive processes can be seen to go against the assumptions and presumptions most of us ordinarily take for granted in our thinking about science and reality.