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236947

Object exploration and a problem with reductionism

Anthony ChemeroCharles Heyser

pp. 403-423

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to use neuroscientific evidence to address the philosophical issue of intertheoretic reduction. In particular, we present a literature review and a new experiment to show that the reduction of cognitive psychology to neuroscience is implausible. To make this case, we look at research using object exploration, an important experimental paradigm in neuroscience, behavioral genetics and psychopharmacology. We show that a good deal of object exploration research is potentially confounded precisely because it assumes that psychological generalizations can be reduced to neuroscientific ones.

Publication details

Published in:

Bickle John (2005) Neuroscience and its philosophy. Synthese 147 (3).

Pages: 403-423

DOI: 10.1007/s11229-005-8363-7

Full citation:

Chemero Anthony, Heyser Charles (2005) „Object exploration and a problem with reductionism“. Synthese 147 (3), 403–423.