Supervenience and qualia
Behavioral and Brain Sciences October 1, 1999 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x99392190 (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 privileged status of neural activity in biological neuroscience rests on the nonlinear, all-or-none character of neural firing, and proposes that justifying the neuron doctrine in cognitive neuroscience requires considering how elementary mental properties such as qualia supervene on neural activity. |
Abstract
The privileged position of neural activity in biological neuroscience might be justified on the grounds of the nonlinear and all-or-none character of neural firing. To justify the neuron doctrine in cognitive neuroscience and make it both plausible and radical, we must consider the supervenience of elementary mental properties such as qualia on neural activity.