Normativism and Mental Causation by Justin Thomas Tiehen, B. A. Dissertation

of the University of Texas at Austin

in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements

for the Degree of

Doctor of Philosophy
The University of Texas at Austin

May 2007
TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.1 Objections to Davidson’s Argument…………………………………...... 9

1.1.1 OBJECTIONS TO THE TRUTH OF THE ARGUMENT’S PREMISES………………………………………………………………. 9

1.1.2 OBJECTIONS TO THE ARGUMENT’S VALIDITY……………. 11

1.1.3 OBJECTIONS TO THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CONCLUSION ……………………………………………………………………………. 14

1.1.4 OBJECTIONS TO DAVIDSON’S VIEW OF MENTAL CAUSATION……...……………………………………….…………….. 15

1.2 Events……………………………………...……………………………… 16

1.3 The Causal Argument for Physicalism…………………………………… 17

1.3.1 WARRANT TRANSMISSION………………………………. 18

1.3.2 THE CAUSAL ARGUMENT’S GUIDING THOUGHT……. 22

1.3.3 THE METAPHYSICS BEHIND (P1) ………………………... 24

1.3.4 OVERDETERMINATION AND THE INDUCTIVE ARGUMENT FOR (P1) …………………………………………………………………. 26

1.3.5 EVIDENCE FROM THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES………….... 28

1.3.6 EVIDENCE FROM NEUROSCIENCE………………………... 34

1.3.7 CONCLUSION……………...…………….…………………… 38

1.4 Mental Causation……………………………….…………………… 38