Explanations 2 Reduction, levels and styles of research

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Explanations 2Reduction, levels and styles of
research

• Kim (2000)
• To call someone 'a reductionist', in
  high-culture press if not in serious philosophy,
  goes beyond mere criticism or expression of
  doctrinal disagreement it is to put a person
  down, to heap scorn on him and his work.
• If you want to be politically correct in
  philosophical matters, you would not dare come
  anywhere near reductionism, nor a reductionist.

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PM Reduction of laws

• 5-steps model for explanation
• Reduction iff
• aggregation, identification, or approximation
• Eliminative iff severely corrective
  approximation
• Non-eliminative otherwise
• Reduction by identification based on type-type
  identities between concepts, Examples
• water an aggregate of H2O-molecules
• genes aggregates of DNA-molecules
• macroscopic pressure kinetic pressure
• equal thermal state equal mean kinetic energy

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Reduction of emergent phenomena by simulation

• piling wood chips by termites 2 simulations
• by programming the termites to take chips to
  predesignated spots
• by programming them with two behavioral rules
• if you carry nothing and bump into a chip, pick
  it up
• if you carry a chip and bump into another, put it
  down
• random direction after bumping into something
• second, emergentist, solution is reductive
• successive application aggregation (
  identification)

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Reduction and correlation of concepts

• Causey main distinction
• general identities vs causal correlations
• 1th criterion (both need empirical support, but)
  only the second require explanation
• practical but circular
• 2th criterion substitution, salva veritate
• noncircular but impractical
• Causey subsequent distinction
• object vs attribute identities
• Criticisms

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Degrees and kinds of reduction and correlation of
concepts

• 3. Singular type-type (one-one) reductions
• perfect approximate version
• 2. Multiple type-type (one-many) reductions
• perfect approximate version
• multiple realizability argument against
  reduction fails
• 1. Quasi type-type (one-one) reductions
• perfect version only
• Correlation only singular and multiple
• with perfect and approximate versions
• 'quasi-correlation' makes no sense

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Correlation and reduction of concepts (perfect
or approximate) degrees and examples

• Identities
• one-one (singular)
• - mean kinetic energy (mke)? temperature
• many-one (multiple)
• - isotopic atoms ? chemical element
• - translation/vibration mke ? temperature
• quasi-
• - wave length ? color (classification)

• Correlations
• one-one (singular)
• aa?a
• many-one (multiple)
• AA?A
• Aa?A
• quasi-
• ??

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Outline of representations
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Conceptual levels, sublevels and sides
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Technical definitions

• Singular type-type reductions
• a type of a higher level description of an
  aggregate, a macro-type, is ontologically
  identified with one type of a lower level, a
  micro-type
• Multiple reductions
• a macro-type is ontologically identified with a
  union of (usually disjunct) micro-types
• Quasi reductions
• a macro-type is ontologically identified with the
  union of all micro-tokens that ontologically
  realize the macro-type.

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Quasi-TT-reduction combined with proper
TT-reduction
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Strategies and Positions

• Positions
• radical reductionism
• all macro-concepts and -laws can be reduced
• radical holism
• no, at least no interesting ones
• restricted reductionism (and holism)
• some will be, others may be not
• Strategies besides radical reductionistic
  radical holistic
• the mixed co-evolving strategy
• cooperation of reductionistic and holistic
  programs
• using also other kinds of vertical explanation
• and all kinds of horizontal explanation

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Refined Theory Reduction Model (RTRM) example
Old phenomenological New thermodynamical concep
t/law/theory concept/law/theory
equivalence attempted correction
successful derivation replacement
derivation (?) Old kinetic New
statistical mechanics concept/law/theory
concept/law/theory
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Levels and styles in research

• Interlevel research
• Burton 4 kinds of research
• 3 x interlevel
• downward, upward, intermediate
• 1 x monolevel lateral
• epistemological levels, related to
• ontological levels and/or
• epistemological styles
• causal, functional, intentional

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Matrix of Levels and Styles
Aggregation Styles of description and
explanation Take-off level level causal functio
nal intentional of disciplines

social x x x social sciences individual x
x x psychology organs x x cells x x bio
logy substances x molecules x chemistry atoms
x el. particles x physics
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Interfield (IF-)theories (Darden Maull)

• IF-theories aim at identifying relationships
  between phenomena of different fields
• A field area with a focal problem, a domain of
  relevant facts, explanatory goals, special
  methods and techniques, and sometimes, but not
  always, laws and theories.
• Ex theory of chromosomes, relating cytology and
  genetics
• Relations localization, identities,
  structure-function, causal
• Frequently interlevel and/or interstyle theories
• Interfield (IF-)matrix of types of interfield
  research, theories, programs mono-/inter-style x
  mono/inter-level
• (R)TRM extreme special case, hence
  concretization

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Styles and their relation(Millikan/Mackor)

• Styles intentional, functional, causal
• Causal explication of functional style
• ito causal-historical relations of proper
  functions
• Functional explications of intentional style
• ito proper functions of beliefs en desires

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MB-research ( BCN-research)

• neuroscience literally, sometimes figuratively
• minimal 4 ontological levels
• atoms, cells, organs, individuals (in env.)
• atoms, nodes, modules, artefacts (in env.)
• 3 styles of description and explanation
• causal, functional, intentional
• 4x3 matrix of levels and styles
• intentional style only on highest level

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4 Levels of representation of individuals (
environment)

• Individuals (one ontological level) as
• wholes of mind and body in an environment
• intentional, functional, causal
• organized systems of organs and the like in ...
• functional, causal
• organized systems of cells in ..
• functional, causal
• organized systems of molecules in ..
• causal

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The biophysicalist reductive ambition, requiring
intermediate correlative successes

• All relations reducible to
• substantial horizontal relations
• conceptual vertical relations
• horizontal causal, functional, intentional
• vertical 1-1, many(lower)-1(higher),
  quasi-identities between representation types
• non-eliminative reduction (as usual in natural
  sciences)
• notreduction of M to B,
• but reduction of MB to

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2 levels model of individual I in environment E

• 2 representation-levels for I and E
• MB macro-portrait individual system of organs
  etc.
• biophysical micro-portrait system of cells
  molecules
• on both levels interaction relations
• in causal, functional or intentional terms
• 3 kinds of vertical conceptual relations
• quasi, multiple, singular identities
• for description and explanation a level leap v.v.
  is allowed, using identities

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The stratified IE-model of mind-body research
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A neuro-structure

• ltN,T,c,agt is a neuro-structure iff
• N the set of neurons of an organism
• T a discrete time-interval (in milliseconds)
• c a directed connection relation
• c(n,n') neuron n is (via an axon) connected
  with (dendrite of) neuron n'
• a activation function
• a(n,t)1(0) neuron n is at t (not) activated
• Basic (observational) law
• If a(n,t) then a(n', t1) for every n' such
  that c(n,n')

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Examples, SSC 68-76

• Example 70-75 2 types of youth delinquency
• adolescency delinquency (AD)
• starting with puberty, ending after adolescency
• persistent delinquency (PD)
• starting before puberty, continuing after
  adolescency

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2 Different Explanations

• Functional explanation of AD
• normal psychophysiological constitution
• abnormal environment wrt role models
• causal explanation of PD
• abnormal psychophysiological constitution
• normal environment
• NB abnormal weak positive causal factor