How Can Physics Underlie the Mind?
Top-Down Causation in the Human Context
Authors: Ellis, George
Free Preview- Addresses one of science and philosophy’s biggest puzzles: how complex structures that emerge from atoms and molecules can become causative agent
- Argues that the human mind and resultant social agency has a special status among complex systems
- Is fully consistent with present day physics, but also takes into account key features of biology and how the brain functions
- Will appeal to general and academic readers alike
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- About this book
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Physics underlies all complexity, including our own existence: how is this possible? How can our own lives emerge from interactions of electrons, protons, and neutrons? This book considers the interaction of physical and non-physical causation in complex systems such as living beings, and in particular in the human brain, relating this to the emergence of higher levels of complexity with real causal powers. In particular it explores the idea of top-down causation, which is the key effect allowing the emergence of true complexity and also enables the causal efficacy of non-physical entities, including the value of money, social conventions, and ethical choices.
- About the authors
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George Ellis, FRS, is one of the world’s leading researchers in general relativity theory and cosmology. He is Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Complex Systems in the Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. He co-authored The Large Scale Structure of Space-Time with Cambridge physicist Stephen Hawking.
- Reviews
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“Ellis (emer., Univ. of Cape Town, South Africa), a world-renowned expert in theoretical physics, presents an impressive and persuasive set of arguments for top-down causation and a non-reductive ontology, which he bases on a broad array of recent research results. … Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above; professionals.” (T. Eastman, Choice, Vol. 54 (5), January, 2017)
“In this magnum opus … George Ellis lays out the case for top-down causation from an emergentist perspective. … This book is an indispensable resource for anyone who seriously ponders the structure of the universe, the miracle of life, and the mystery of consciousness.” (Randy Isaac, Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith, Vol. 69 (2), 2017)
- Table of contents (8 chapters)
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Complexity and Emergence
Pages 1-33
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Digital Computer Systems
Pages 35-84
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The Basis of Complexity
Pages 85-131
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Kinds of Top-Down Causation
Pages 133-216
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Room at the Bottom?
Pages 217-242
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Table of contents (8 chapters)
- Download Preface 1 PDF (72.8 KB)
- Download Sample pages 2 PDF (393 KB)
- Download Table of contents PDF (315.6 KB)
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Bibliographic Information
- Bibliographic Information
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- Book Title
- How Can Physics Underlie the Mind?
- Book Subtitle
- Top-Down Causation in the Human Context
- Authors
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- George Ellis
- Series Title
- The Frontiers Collection
- Copyright
- 2016
- Publisher
- Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
- Copyright Holder
- Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
- eBook ISBN
- 978-3-662-49809-5
- DOI
- 10.1007/978-3-662-49809-5
- Hardcover ISBN
- 978-3-662-49807-1
- Softcover ISBN
- 978-3-662-57036-4
- Series ISSN
- 1612-3018
- Edition Number
- 1
- Number of Pages
- XXVI, 482
- Number of Illustrations
- 36 b/w illustrations
- Topics
