Varieties of difference-makers: considerations on chirimuuta’s approach to non-causal explanation in neuroscience
Autor(a) principal: | |
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Data de Publicação: | 2019 |
Tipo de documento: | Artigo |
Idioma: | por |
Título da fonte: | Manuscrito (Online) |
Texto Completo: | https://periodicos.sbu.unicamp.br/ojs/index.php/manuscrito/article/view/8656459 |
Resumo: | Causal approaches to explanation often assume that a model explains by describing features that make a difference regarding the phenomenon. Chirimuuta claims that this idea can be also used to understand non-causal explanation in computational neuroscience. She argues that mathematical principles that figure in efficient coding explanations are non-causal difference-makers. Although these principles cannot be causally altered, efficient coding models can be used to show how would the phenomenon change if the principles were modified in counterpossible situations. The problem is that efficient coding models also involve difference-makers that, prima facie, cannot be characterized as non-causal in this sense. Mathematical principles always involve variables which have counterfactual (instead of counterpossible) relations between them. However, we cannot simply assume that these difference-makers are causal. They can also be found in paradigmatic non-causal explanations and therefore they must be characterized as non-causal in some sense. I argue that, despite appearances, Chirimuuta's view can be applied to these cases. The mentioned counterfactual relations presuppose the counterpossible conditionals that describe the modification of a relevant mathematical principle. If these conditionals are the hallmark of non-causal relations, then Chirimuuta’s criterion has the desired implication that variables in mathematical principles are non-causal difference-makers. |
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Varieties of difference-makers: considerations on chirimuuta’s approach to non-causal explanation in neuroscienceComputational neuroscienceNon-causal explanationDifference-makers.Causal approaches to explanation often assume that a model explains by describing features that make a difference regarding the phenomenon. Chirimuuta claims that this idea can be also used to understand non-causal explanation in computational neuroscience. She argues that mathematical principles that figure in efficient coding explanations are non-causal difference-makers. Although these principles cannot be causally altered, efficient coding models can be used to show how would the phenomenon change if the principles were modified in counterpossible situations. The problem is that efficient coding models also involve difference-makers that, prima facie, cannot be characterized as non-causal in this sense. Mathematical principles always involve variables which have counterfactual (instead of counterpossible) relations between them. However, we cannot simply assume that these difference-makers are causal. They can also be found in paradigmatic non-causal explanations and therefore they must be characterized as non-causal in some sense. I argue that, despite appearances, Chirimuuta's view can be applied to these cases. The mentioned counterfactual relations presuppose the counterpossible conditionals that describe the modification of a relevant mathematical principle. If these conditionals are the hallmark of non-causal relations, then Chirimuuta’s criterion has the desired implication that variables in mathematical principles are non-causal difference-makers.Universidade Estadual de Campinas2019-09-03info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/otherapplication/pdfhttps://periodicos.sbu.unicamp.br/ojs/index.php/manuscrito/article/view/8656459Manuscrito: Revista Internacional de Filosofia; v. 42 n. 1 (2019): jan./mar.; 91-119Manuscrito: International Journal of Philosophy; Vol. 42 No. 1 (2019): jan./mar.; 91-119Manuscrito: Revista Internacional de Filosofía; Vol. 42 Núm. 1 (2019): jan./mar.; 91-1192317-630Xreponame:Manuscrito (Online)instname:Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP)instacron:UNICAMPporhttps://periodicos.sbu.unicamp.br/ojs/index.php/manuscrito/article/view/8656459/21243Brazil; 2019Copyright (c) 2019 Manuscritoinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessPaz, Abel Wajnerman2019-09-03T17:58:24Zoai:ojs.periodicos.sbu.unicamp.br:article/8656459Revistahttps://periodicos.sbu.unicamp.br/ojs/index.php/manuscritoPUBhttps://periodicos.sbu.unicamp.br/ojs/index.php/manuscrito/oaimwrigley@cle.unicamp.br|| dascal@spinoza.tau.ac.il||publicacoes@cle.unicamp.br2317-630X0100-6045opendoar:2019-09-03T17:58:24Manuscrito (Online) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP)false |
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv |
Varieties of difference-makers: considerations on chirimuuta’s approach to non-causal explanation in neuroscience |
title |
Varieties of difference-makers: considerations on chirimuuta’s approach to non-causal explanation in neuroscience |
spellingShingle |
Varieties of difference-makers: considerations on chirimuuta’s approach to non-causal explanation in neuroscience Paz, Abel Wajnerman Computational neuroscience Non-causal explanation Difference-makers. |
title_short |
Varieties of difference-makers: considerations on chirimuuta’s approach to non-causal explanation in neuroscience |
title_full |
Varieties of difference-makers: considerations on chirimuuta’s approach to non-causal explanation in neuroscience |
title_fullStr |
Varieties of difference-makers: considerations on chirimuuta’s approach to non-causal explanation in neuroscience |
title_full_unstemmed |
Varieties of difference-makers: considerations on chirimuuta’s approach to non-causal explanation in neuroscience |
title_sort |
Varieties of difference-makers: considerations on chirimuuta’s approach to non-causal explanation in neuroscience |
author |
Paz, Abel Wajnerman |
author_facet |
Paz, Abel Wajnerman |
author_role |
author |
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv |
Paz, Abel Wajnerman |
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv |
Computational neuroscience Non-causal explanation Difference-makers. |
topic |
Computational neuroscience Non-causal explanation Difference-makers. |
description |
Causal approaches to explanation often assume that a model explains by describing features that make a difference regarding the phenomenon. Chirimuuta claims that this idea can be also used to understand non-causal explanation in computational neuroscience. She argues that mathematical principles that figure in efficient coding explanations are non-causal difference-makers. Although these principles cannot be causally altered, efficient coding models can be used to show how would the phenomenon change if the principles were modified in counterpossible situations. The problem is that efficient coding models also involve difference-makers that, prima facie, cannot be characterized as non-causal in this sense. Mathematical principles always involve variables which have counterfactual (instead of counterpossible) relations between them. However, we cannot simply assume that these difference-makers are causal. They can also be found in paradigmatic non-causal explanations and therefore they must be characterized as non-causal in some sense. I argue that, despite appearances, Chirimuuta's view can be applied to these cases. The mentioned counterfactual relations presuppose the counterpossible conditionals that describe the modification of a relevant mathematical principle. If these conditionals are the hallmark of non-causal relations, then Chirimuuta’s criterion has the desired implication that variables in mathematical principles are non-causal difference-makers. |
publishDate |
2019 |
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv |
2019-09-03 |
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion info:eu-repo/semantics/other |
format |
article |
status_str |
publishedVersion |
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv |
https://periodicos.sbu.unicamp.br/ojs/index.php/manuscrito/article/view/8656459 |
url |
https://periodicos.sbu.unicamp.br/ojs/index.php/manuscrito/article/view/8656459 |
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv |
por |
language |
por |
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv |
https://periodicos.sbu.unicamp.br/ojs/index.php/manuscrito/article/view/8656459/21243 |
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv |
Copyright (c) 2019 Manuscrito info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
rights_invalid_str_mv |
Copyright (c) 2019 Manuscrito |
eu_rights_str_mv |
openAccess |
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv |
application/pdf |
dc.coverage.none.fl_str_mv |
Brazil; 2019 |
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Universidade Estadual de Campinas |
publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Universidade Estadual de Campinas |
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv |
Manuscrito: Revista Internacional de Filosofia; v. 42 n. 1 (2019): jan./mar.; 91-119 Manuscrito: International Journal of Philosophy; Vol. 42 No. 1 (2019): jan./mar.; 91-119 Manuscrito: Revista Internacional de Filosofía; Vol. 42 Núm. 1 (2019): jan./mar.; 91-119 2317-630X reponame:Manuscrito (Online) instname:Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) instacron:UNICAMP |
instname_str |
Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) |
instacron_str |
UNICAMP |
institution |
UNICAMP |
reponame_str |
Manuscrito (Online) |
collection |
Manuscrito (Online) |
repository.name.fl_str_mv |
Manuscrito (Online) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) |
repository.mail.fl_str_mv |
mwrigley@cle.unicamp.br|| dascal@spinoza.tau.ac.il||publicacoes@cle.unicamp.br |
_version_ |
1800216567066132480 |