Analysis 65 (1):33-39 (
2005)
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Abstract
In this paper we distinguish two issues that are often run together in
discussions about physicalism. The first issue concerns levels. How do
entities picked out by non-physical terminology, such as biological or
psychological terminology, relate to physical entities? Are the former
identical to, or metaphysically supervenient on, the latter? The second
issue concerns physical parts and wholes. How do macroscopic physical
entities relate to their microscopic parts? Are the former generally determined by the latter? We argue that views on these two issues are independent of one another and should not be conflated.