1. Anomalous monism Michael Lacewing enquiries@alevelphilosophy.co. uk

2. The inconsistent triad Principle of Causal Interaction: Mental events interact causally with physical events, e.g. my decisions cause movements of my body. Principle of the Nomological Character of Causality: Every instance of causality must be underwritten by a (strict deterministic) causal law. Where two events are related as cause and effect, there is a law which underwrites the causal relation between them. Anomalism of the Mental: There are no (strict deterministic) laws enabling prediction and explanation of mental events.

3. Accepting the premises 1 is intuitive. 2: the same cause will operate in the same way on different occasions. This idea of regularity can be formalized in causal laws. 3: there cannot be any (strict deterministic) causal laws for psychological states.

4. Mental causation Causation requires things to ‘happen’. ‘Things happening’ are events. A cause and its effect are both events, changes at a time (or over time) in the properties of objects. Like picking up the remote control

5. Anomalous monism Token identity theory: any mental event is also a physical event. –The same event can be described as mental or physical. Causal laws relate two events only under certain descriptions. –Compass needles point towards the home of polar bears? Mental events fall under causal laws only when described as physical events.

6. Epiphenomenalism? Events cause their effects in virtue of certain properties and not others. Is it because of its physical properties or because of its mental properties that a mental event causes its effects?

7. Picturing the problem  Pick up glass  Mental event, e.g. decision = Physical event, e.g. in brain But physical property explains effect