Reduction and Emergence: A Critique of Kim

• Published in: Philosophical studies Vol. 146; no. 1; pp. 93 - 116
• Main Author: Needham, Paul
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 01.10.2009; Springer Netherlands; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Approximation; Causality; Causation; Chemical substances; Chemistry; Consciousness; Duhem; Education; Emergence; Emergent properties; Emergentism; Epistemology; Ethics; Filosofiämnen; Gas temperature; General philosophy. Metaphysics; Historisk-filosofiska ämnen; History and philosophy subjects; HUMANIORA och RELIGIONSVETENSKAP; HUMANITIES and RELIGION; Kim; Kinetic energy; Metaphysics; Molecules; Nagel; Ontology; Philosophy; Philosophy of Language; Philosophy of Mind; Philosophy of science; Philosophy subjects; Physical sciences; Physics; Reduction; Reductionism; Supervenience; Temperature; Teoretisk filosofi; Theoretical philosophy; Thermodynamics; Reduction; Temperature; Nagel; Emergence; Duhem; Chemical substances; Kim
• ISSN: 0031-8116; 1573-0883; 1573-0883
• DOI: 10.1007/s11098-008-9246-9

In a recent critique of the doctrine of emergentism championed by its classic advocates up to C. D. Broad, Jaegwon Kim (Philosophical Studies 63:31–47, 1999) challenges their view about its applicability to the sciences and proposes a new account of how the opposing notion of reduction should be understood. Kim is critical of the classic conception advanced by Nagel and uses his new account in his criticism of emergentism. I question his claims about the successful reduction achieved in the sciences and argue that his new account has not improved on Nagel's and that the critique of emergentism he bases on it is question-begging in important respects.