Sharon Medlow

The 'paradox' of Mental Causation: Solutions from Anomalous Monism and Direct Realism Sharon Medlow

Developing a theory of mental causation involves thechallenge of reconciling the seemingly incompatibletenets of human rationality and causal mechanism. The 'Paradox' of Mental Causation: Solutions fromAnomalous Monism and Direct Realism" provides acritical examination of two theories that sharelittle beyond their conviction that mental causationis not paradoxical. In this book the forty years' worth of essays that comprise Donald Davidson'stheory of 'Anomalous Monism' are examined as aconceptual whole according to which anontological-conceptual distinction between events andtheir properties forms the basis for solving theparadox. 'Direct Realism' is then introduced and withit the thesis that human rationality is a naturalconsequence of one's sensitivity to the logicalfeatures present in natural environments. These verydifferent solutions provide the materials for anexploration of determinism realism superveniencerelations universality and particularity as theyeach pertain to the question of how minds areenmeshed with the causal processes of the naturalworld. This book is addressed to an audience ofacademics and students of the philosophy of mind."