A.J. van Westen | Utrecht University (original) (raw)
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Papers by A.J. van Westen
In this thesis a linguistic reading of anomalous monism is proposed. This interpretation of Donal... more In this thesis a linguistic reading of anomalous monism is proposed. This interpretation of Donald Davidson's theory of mind is meant to counter the charges of causal idleness made against anomalous monism by critics such as Jaegwon Kim. The interpretation proposed in this thesis holds that anomalous monism should be seen as a thesis concerning descriptions of states as mental or physical, rather than as a thesis concerning ontological domains of mental and physical events. In support of this interpretation a truth-value notion of supervenience is developed
In this thesis I defend a metaphysics that ascribes fundamental dispositional properties (powers)... more In this thesis I defend a metaphysics that ascribes fundamental dispositional properties (powers) to objects. The main claim of the thesis is that fundamental powers of fundamental objects are what constitutes causation. Causes are powers, and effects are manifestations of these powers. Powers manifest necessarily when their manifestation conditions hold. Counterexamples against the necessitation of effects by powers (masks, finks, mimickers) are dealt with by distinguishing manifestations from occurrent effects. In my thesis the manifestation of a power is the force that is exerted on an object, and not the result of this force. Since forces can't be blocked, the counterexamples do not hold. As an example of a fundamental power of a fundamental object I take the mass of a particle. The mass of a particle is the power to attract massive objects in a certain way. In developing this example I exactly specify the individuation conditions of powers and manifestations. In doing so I commit to properties being essentially powerful, powers having their manifestation types essentially, and powers having their manifestation condition types essentially. The result of this investigation is a metaphysics that can account for causation very well and does so in an anti-humean framework of powers, manifestations and their essences. Supervisors: prof. Albert Visser (Utrecht University) and prof. John Heil (Washington University in St. Louis
This M.A. thesis develops a view of causation in terms of powers. It is argued that a powers acco... more This M.A. thesis develops a view of causation in terms of powers. It is argued that a powers account of causation is superior to Humean accounts, and a version of a powers account is presented. The theory of causation presented in this thesis focusses on fundamental particles and their powers. An essentialist view of powers is adopted: powers are individuated by their manifestation conditions and manifestation types, combined with the objects they are instantiated in. The type of manifestation as well as the conditions under which a power will manifest are therefore essential to any power. This thesis explicitly aims at an account of causation that is in accord with science. As a test case, in chapter 3 the account is applied to gravitational attraction as an example of causation between fundamental objects.
Talks by A.J. van Westen
In this thesis a linguistic reading of anomalous monism is proposed. This interpretation of Donal... more In this thesis a linguistic reading of anomalous monism is proposed. This interpretation of Donald Davidson's theory of mind is meant to counter the charges of causal idleness made against anomalous monism by critics such as Jaegwon Kim. The interpretation proposed in this thesis holds that anomalous monism should be seen as a thesis concerning descriptions of states as mental or physical, rather than as a thesis concerning ontological domains of mental and physical events. In support of this interpretation a truth-value notion of supervenience is developed
In this thesis I defend a metaphysics that ascribes fundamental dispositional properties (powers)... more In this thesis I defend a metaphysics that ascribes fundamental dispositional properties (powers) to objects. The main claim of the thesis is that fundamental powers of fundamental objects are what constitutes causation. Causes are powers, and effects are manifestations of these powers. Powers manifest necessarily when their manifestation conditions hold. Counterexamples against the necessitation of effects by powers (masks, finks, mimickers) are dealt with by distinguishing manifestations from occurrent effects. In my thesis the manifestation of a power is the force that is exerted on an object, and not the result of this force. Since forces can't be blocked, the counterexamples do not hold. As an example of a fundamental power of a fundamental object I take the mass of a particle. The mass of a particle is the power to attract massive objects in a certain way. In developing this example I exactly specify the individuation conditions of powers and manifestations. In doing so I commit to properties being essentially powerful, powers having their manifestation types essentially, and powers having their manifestation condition types essentially. The result of this investigation is a metaphysics that can account for causation very well and does so in an anti-humean framework of powers, manifestations and their essences. Supervisors: prof. Albert Visser (Utrecht University) and prof. John Heil (Washington University in St. Louis
This M.A. thesis develops a view of causation in terms of powers. It is argued that a powers acco... more This M.A. thesis develops a view of causation in terms of powers. It is argued that a powers account of causation is superior to Humean accounts, and a version of a powers account is presented. The theory of causation presented in this thesis focusses on fundamental particles and their powers. An essentialist view of powers is adopted: powers are individuated by their manifestation conditions and manifestation types, combined with the objects they are instantiated in. The type of manifestation as well as the conditions under which a power will manifest are therefore essential to any power. This thesis explicitly aims at an account of causation that is in accord with science. As a test case, in chapter 3 the account is applied to gravitational attraction as an example of causation between fundamental objects.