Authors:
- 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
- Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras
Part of the book series: The Frontiers Collection (FRONTCOLL)
Buy it now
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Other ways to access
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check for access.
Table of contents (8 chapters)
-
Front Matter
-
Back Matter
About this book
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.
Reviews
“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)
Authors and Affiliations
-
Dept of Mathematics, University of Capetown, Rondebosch, South Africa
George Ellis
About the author
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: How Can Physics Underlie the Mind?
Book Subtitle: Top-Down Causation in the Human Context
Authors: George Ellis
Series Title: The Frontiers Collection
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-49809-5
Publisher: Springer Berlin, Heidelberg
eBook Packages: Physics and Astronomy, Physics and Astronomy (R0)
Copyright Information: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2016
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-662-49807-1Published: 09 June 2016
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-662-57036-4Published: 30 May 2018
eBook ISBN: 978-3-662-49809-5Published: 31 May 2016
Series ISSN: 1612-3018
Series E-ISSN: 2197-6619
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XXVI, 482
Number of Illustrations: 36 b/w illustrations
Topics: Complex Systems, Neurosciences, Evolutionary Biology, Neurobiology, Epistemology, Statistical Physics and Dynamical Systems