Volume 1, Number 2, 87-105, DOI: 10.1007/BF02512315

Interaction without reduction: The relationship between personal and sub-personal levels of description

Martin Davies

View Related Documents

Abstract

Starting from Dennett's distinction between personal and sub-personal levels of description, I consider the relationships amongst three levels: the personal level, the level of information-processing mechanisms, and the level of neurobiology. I defend a conception of the relationship between the personal level and the sub-personal level of information-processing mechanisms as “interaction without reduction”. Even given a nonreductionist conception of persons, philosophical theorizing sometimes supports downward inferences from the personal to the sub-personal level. An example of a downward inference is provided and an objection is considered.

Keywords  persons - sub-personal level - information processing - neuroscience - representation - tacit knowledge - reduction - explanatory gap - language of thought

Fulltext Preview

Image of the first page of the fulltext document