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P 13 Substance Dualism

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Thus the laws of conservation of mass , energy and momentum seem to be violated. The key premise of the causal closure argument against interactive dualism is the principle which requires every physical effect of a mental cause to have a sufficient physical cause.P 13 Substance dualism E.J. Lowe.

Is there a way of reconciling interventions on the part of the mind with the laws of physics and casual closure specifically?
A way to adress the above objection is to postulate that the mind-body interaction is only probabilistic. This is where quantum physics enters the picture.v3. William G.Lycan, Giving dualism its due. Given quantum indeterminism, it is open to the dualist to deny that all physical effects have sufficient physical causes. (as …show more content…
Why then should we insist on it in mind-brain interaction ? If the physical laws are indeterministic, as per quantum theory, then the problem of closure in physics ceases to be a problem. No laws are infringed including the causal closure . Quantum mechanics does seem to provide a good case of interaction without energy or momentum exchange. p. 38 Robin Collins , Modern Physics and the energy conservation.
1. In any causal system there must exist at least one cause and effect connection which is “primitive” meaning unanalyzable, irreducible to smaller parts. A dualist could postulate that the mind body connection is indeed such a primitive, irreducible connection. If this is the case such a connection cannot be incorporated by a scientific theory, it would remain mysterious to science and outside the scope of reduction. A dualist would be fine with this position, a scientist would not. This position however is not a terribly satisfying one as such a position has a feeling of mystrianism about …show more content…
In such a model, consciousness is superfluous, having no causal role and in for the ride as a spectator at best.
Classical physics which is deterministic is very different from Quantum Mechanics (QM) which came around in the 1920’s. QM seems to indicate that the world is not deterministic. QM can be argued is relevant to consciousness and free will. P.17 Quantum Physics,consciousness and free will.
With the departure from classical Newtonian physics, the founders of quantum mechanics introduced human consciousness into the new model of physics. Unlike classical physics, in QM the participation of conscious subject is needed.This model called for a role of an observer and an active conscious agent who injects conscious intentions into the physical system under study.
Henry Stapp is one leading physicist and philosopher who uses quantum mechanics to resolve the mind-body problem. In his “Quantum Dualism”, the world is made of events and potentialities for these events to occur. He is an advocate of the relevance of QM to consciousness and free will. He embraces QM ‘s reference to observation as providing the basis for a theory of the relationship and interaction of mind and matter.

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