The Interaction Problem and Mental Causation: A Quantum Field Theoretical Perspective
Qeios October 25, 2025 DOI: 10.32388/78f7fz.4 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that the mind-body causal interaction problem rests on classical-physics assumptions that lose clear meaning in an extended quantum field-theoretical framework, and proposes a new account of mental causation that reconciles dualism with the probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics. |
Abstract
A fundamental issue in the philosophy of mind, particularly within dualist theories, is the distinction between the mind and body as separate ‘substances.’ The challenge lies in elucidating how an immaterial or unphysical mind can causally interact with a physical body or its brain states, considering that they seemingly belong to fundamentally different ontological categories. Questions regarding mental causation often operate under assumptions rooted in a macroscopic worldview based on our everyday intuitions and classical physics, which we believe have clear and defined meanings. However, upon closer inspection within an extended quantum field-theoretical context, these concepts lose significance. When viewed through the lens of modern physics, the conceptual categories defining this debate acquire more complex nuances than we might initially assume. In light of these clarifications, a new understanding of mental causation is presented that reconciles the dualist perspective with the probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics.