Power and Influence

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Corry
Keyword(s):  
Complex System ◽  
World View ◽  
Laws Of Nature ◽  
Normative Ethics ◽  
Causal Powers ◽  
Ontological Category ◽  
Causal Influence ◽  
The World ◽  
Species Population ◽  
Power And Influence

This book investigates the metaphysical presuppositions of a common—and very successful—reductive approach to dealing with the complexity of the world. The reductive approach in question is one in which we study the components of a complex system in relative isolation, and use the information so gained to explain or predict the behaviour of the complex whole. So, for example, ecologists explain shifts in species population in terms of interactions between individuals, geneticists explain traits of an organism in terms of interactions between genes, and physicists explain the properties of a gas in terms of collisions between the particles that make up the gas. It is argued that this reductive method makes substantive metaphysical assumptions about the world. In particular, the method assumes the existence of causal powers that manifest ‘causal influence’—a relatively unrecognized ontological category of which forces are a paradigm example. The success of the reductive method, therefore, is an argument for the existence of such causal influence. The book goes on to show that adding causal influence to our ontology gives us the resources to solve some traditional problems in the metaphysics of powers, causation, emergence, laws of nature, and possibly even normative ethics. What results, then, is not just an understanding of the reductive method, but an integrated metaphysical world view that is grounded in a novel ontology of power and influence.

Causal Models

2019 ◽  
pp. 159-185
Author(s):  
Richard Corry
Keyword(s):  
Causal Models ◽  
Practical Reasons ◽  
Causal Powers ◽  
Causal Influence ◽  
Causal Modelling ◽  
Modelling Framework ◽  
Standard Framework ◽  
Power And Influence

This chapter shows how the ontology of power and influence can be used to interpret and extend the causal modelling framework developed by Judea Pearl, Peter Spirtes, Clark Glymour, and Richard Scheines. In particular, it is argued that the standard causal modelling framework suffers from an important limitation in that it is not truly modular. A modification to the standard framework is presented that overcomes this limitation. In the modified framework, the basic relations explicitly represent basic causal powers and the influences that they manifest. These ‘causal influence models’ can be used to generate standard causal models, and so can do everything that the standard causal models can do. It is argued, however, that there are both theoretical and practical reasons for preferring causal influence models over standard causal models.

Laws of Nature

2019 ◽  
pp. 119-133
Author(s):  
Richard Corry
Keyword(s):  
Laws Of Nature ◽  
Causal Influence ◽  
Law Of Nature ◽  
Power And Influence

This chapter investigates how an ontology of power and influence might help us answer the question ‘What is it to be a law of nature?’ In particular, the chapter investigates how this ontology might help us develop the dispositional essentialist account of laws as it is presented by Alexander Bird. It is argued that Bird's derivation of laws from dispositions only works if we combine the view that some properties are powers in Bird's sense (they have an essential dispositional nature that is modally fixed) with the view that the relevant properties are powers in the sense developed in this book (they are dispositions to manifest causal influence).

scholarly journals Starożytne źródła antropocentryzmu

2009 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 31-38
Author(s):  
Anita Ganowicz-Bączyk
Keyword(s):  
Middle Ages ◽  
Environmental Ethics ◽  
World View ◽  
Laws Of Nature ◽  
Living Organism ◽  
Ecological Crisis ◽  
Human Cognition ◽  
European Culture ◽  
The World ◽  
Subject Of Cognition

Anthropocentrism seems to be a key notion related to the man-nature relation. Probably he is also the most controversial one in environmental ethics. The anthropocentric attitude is sometimes meant to be the main cause of the ecological crisis. One can distinguish at least several stages of the process, which led to this crisis, namely: stage of Magic and Myth, Ancient Times, Middle Ages, and Modern Times. The aim of this article is to show the process of development of an anthropocentric thought in Ancient European culture. Supposedly the critical phase for this process is the so-called Neolithic Revolution. Changes brought by this deeply influenced life of man. Not only affected the transformation of his world-view but also had an impact on the modification of society itself. Mentioned changes led among other things to the rejection of magic and mythical world-view, in which the Universe was perceived as a harmonious and friendly place to live in. A doubt appeared instead, what the place of man in the world really is. These questions reflected in philosophical views of that time. To sum up, the originated by Ancient Greek philosophers outlook on nature, in which nature was recognized as a living organism and a man as an immanent part of it, had been gradually dropped out. It appeared that man falls outside the mechanical laws of nature because he is able to understand them and use this knowledge for his own goals (Democritus), man’s soul makes him transcend nature and dominate it (Socrates), man’s existence is purposeful, he is superior to other material beings as a crown of nature and the most complex and perfect being (Aristotle). This process led to a recognition of the objective existence of the world, which in fact is independent of human cognition. Ultimately, this resulted in the objectification of nature as an object of man’s cognition and research. Nature was then gradually put in opposition to man – the subject of cognition.

Causal Influence

2019 ◽  
pp. 19-42
Author(s):  
Richard Corry
Keyword(s):  
Complex System ◽  
Causal Powers ◽  
Causal Influence

This chapter argues that the reductive method of explanation assumes an ontology of causal powers that manifest invariant causal influence. The reductive method takes what we know about how systems behave in one situation (typically a situation of relative isolation), and apply that knowledge to explain or predict the behaviour of the system in another situation (such as when it is a part of a more complex system). If this method is to work, then there must be something that remains constant from one situation to another in a way that supports the method. It is shown that standard ontologies do not contain anything that can fulfil this role. It is then shown that a relatively novel kind of entity, dubbed ‘causal influence’, can do the job.

Influentialism

2019 ◽  
pp. 216-224
Author(s):  
Richard Corry
Keyword(s):  
Virtue Ethics ◽  
Ethical Theory ◽  
Normative Ethics ◽  
Middle Ground ◽  
Causal Influence ◽  
Normative Ethical Theory ◽  
Power And Influence

This final chapter puts the ontology of power and influence to use beyond metaphysics by suggesting that the concept of causal influence may be helpful in the field of normative ethics. In particular, it is argued that the ontology of causal influence opens up the possibility of a novel category of normative ethical theory called influentialism. Influentialism stands in contrast to the traditional categories of consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics. The aim is not to argue that influentialism is preferable to these traditional categories, but simply to put the theory on the table for consideration. However, it is argued that influentialism has some promising features that make it worthy of consideration. In particular, influentialism seems to occupy a middle ground between consequentialism and deontology and is able to combine seemingly incompatible intuitions from these two categories.

Macroscopic Power and Influence

2019 ◽  
pp. 90-118
Author(s):  
Richard Corry
Keyword(s):  
Major Part ◽  
Basic Component ◽  
Causal Powers ◽  
Fundamental Physics ◽  
Reductive Explanation ◽  
Causal Influence ◽  
Power And Influence

This chapter shows how causal powers and causal influences can be composed, both synchronically and asynchronically, to form composite powers and composite influences, which are a common feature of reductive explanation. Indeed, outside fundamental physics it is likely that many, if not all, the powers and influences mentioned will be composite rather than fundamental. A major part of this chapter involves defending the idea that composite influences can be composed of more basic component influences. In particular, it defends the idea from objections against the existence of composite and component forces. Since forces are paradigmatic examples of causal influence, these arguments will also be objections to the concept of composite influences more generally. Finally, having defended an account of the relation between composite and component powers, it show that this account defuses an argument recently advanced by Alexander Bird, who concludes that there are few, if any, true macroscopic powers.

The concepts of Ayurveda and Pāli Literature in connection to Psychotherapy

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kolarkar Rajesh Shivajirao ◽  
Kolarkar Rajashree Rajesh
Keyword(s):  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Laws Of Nature ◽  
Code Of Conduct ◽  
Economic Consequences ◽  
Ultimate Truth ◽  
Traditional System ◽  
The World ◽  
Mind And Body ◽  
The Mind ◽  
The Buddha

The perfect balance of Mind and body is considered as complete health in Pāli literature as well as in Ayurveda. Pāli literature and Ayurveda have their own identity as most ancient and traditional system of medicine in India.The universal teachings of the Buddha are the most precious legacy ancient India gave to the world. The teachings are a practical code of conduct, a way of purity and of gracious living. There is a scientific study of the truth pertaining to mind and matter, and the ultimate truth beyond. In fact, the Buddha should be more appropriately known as a super-scientist who studied the entire laws of nature governing the Universe, by direct personal experience. The Buddha's rational teachings are clearly explained in the Eight-fold Noble Path, divided in three divisions of Sīla (morality), Samādhi (mastery over the mind), Paññā i.e. ‘Pragya' (purification of the mind, by developing insight). In Ayurveda Psychotherapy can be done by Satvavajaya Chikitsa and good conduct. Aim is to augment the Satva Guna in order to correct the imbalance in state of Rajas (Passion) and Tamas (Inertia). Sattvavajaya as psychotherapy, is the mental restraint, or a "mind control" as referred by Caraka, as well as Vagbhata is achieved Dnyan (education), Vidnyan (training in developing skill), Dhairya (development of coping mechanism), Smruti (memory enhancement), Samadhi (concentration of mind). According to WHO, Mental disorders are the common problem. The burden of mental disorders continues to grow with significant impacts on health and major social, human rights and economic consequences in all countries of the world.

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