Stance 12 (1):33-43 (
2019)
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Abstract
In this essay, I defend a mind-body dualism, according to which human
minds are immaterial substances that exercise non-redundant causal powers
over bodies, against the notorious problem of psychophysical causation. I
explicate and reply to three formulations of the problem: (i) the claim that, on
dualism, psychophysical causation is inconsistent with physical causal closure,
(ii) the claim that psychophysical causation on the dualist view is intolerably
mysterious, and (iii) Jaegwon Kim’s claim that dualism fails to account for
causal pairings. Ultimately, I conclude that these objections fail and that
dualist interactionism is no more problematic or mysterious than
physical causation.