Nearly everybody nowadays accepts the 'causal completeness…
“Nearly everybody nowadays accepts the 'causal completeness of physics' - every physical event (or at least its probability) has a full physical cause. This leaves no room for non-physical things to make a causal difference to physical effects. But it would be absurd to deny that thoughts and feelings (and population movements and economic depressions . . .) cause physical effects. So they must be physical things.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
If physical causality is complete, then mental states must be physical to have causal power; otherwise, they would be impotent.
In simple terms: Thoughts must be physical to cause effects.
Key Takeaway
Mental causation requires physical basis.
Themes
philosophy of mind
physics
causality
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
philosophical
argumentative
When to use this quote
- debating free will in a neuroscience class
- considering AI consciousness
Key Concepts
materialism
mind‑body problem
Practical Applications
- study neurophysiology of decision‑making
- use empirical methods to test mental influence
Questions to Reflect On
- Can non‑physical explanations ever be scientifically viable?
- What evidence would challenge this view?
A Different Perspective
Physicalist accounts may overlook emergent properties.