Emergence, Reduction and the Identity and Individuation of Powers

Carruth, Alexander Daniel

Abstract

One recently popular way to characterise strong emergence is to say that emergent entities possess novel causal powers. However, there is little agreement concerning the nature of powers. One controversy involves whether powers are single- or multi-track; that is, whether each power has only one manifestation type, or whether a single power can be directed towards a number of distinct manifestations. Another concerns how powers operate: whether a lone power manifests when triggered by the presence of a suitable stimulus, or whether powers operate mutually such that several powers must ‘work together’ to bring about a particular manifestation. This paper examines how these distinctions—which can be cross-combined to frame four distinct accounts of the nature of powers—bear on the debate between emergentists and reductionists.

Citation

Carruth, A. D. (2020). Emergence, Reduction and the Identity and Individuation of Powers. Topoi, 39, 1021-1030. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11245-018-9621-x

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 30, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Dec 10, 2018
• Publication Date: 2020-11
• Deposit Date: Dec 14, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 14, 2018
• Journal: Topoi
• Print ISSN: 0167-7411
• Electronic ISSN: 1572-8749
• Publisher: Springer
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 39
• Pages: 1021-1030
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11245-018-9621-x
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1311546