A COMPROMISE BETWEEN REDUCTIONISM AND NON-REDUCTIONISM
Eray Özkural · 2007
This paper investigates the seeming incompatibility of reductionism and nonreductionism in the context of complexity sciences.I review algorithmic information theory for this purpose.I offer two physical metaphors to form a better understanding of algorithmic complexity, and I briefly discuss its advantages, shortcomings and applications.Then, I revisit the non-reductionist approaches in philosophy of mind which are often arguments from ignorance to counter physicalism.A new approach called mild non-reductionism is proposed which reconciliates the necessities of acknowledging irreducibility found in complex systems, and maintaining physicalism.