ENGLISH

How Can Physics Underlie the Mind?: Top-Down Causation in the Human Context

By George Ellis (Auth.)

Book information

Publisher
Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
Year
2016
ISBN
978-3-662-49807-1, 978-3-662-49809-5
DOI
10.1007/978-3-662-49809-5
Language
english
Format
PDF
Filesize
8 MB (8538894 bytes)
Series
The Frontiers Collection
Edition
1
Pages
XXVI, 482\502
Topic
Psychology
Time added
2016-11-20 09:00:00
Dynamical Systems and Complexity;Neurosciences;EvoStatistical Physics

Description

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.

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