Beyond Reduction

In Beyond Reduction, Steven Horst challenges traditional reductionist views in philosophy of mind, advocating for a new paradigm based on Cognitive Pluralism.

In Beyond Reduction, Steven Horst presents a refreshing perspective on the philosophy of mind, arguing that traditional reductionist approaches are outdated. He highlights how contemporary philosophers often assume that the complexities of the mind can be distilled into basic physical principles. However, Horst points out that aspects such as consciousness, intentionality, and normativity resist such simplification, creating an explanatory gap between mental phenomena and neurological processes. This gap has led to significant debate in the field, with various schools of thought emerging, including reductionism, eliminativism, dualism, and mysterian non-reductive physicalism.

Horst critiques these prevailing theories, suggesting that they stem from lingering assumptions rooted in an outdated philosophy of science. He notes that the notion of reductionism, once considered a cornerstone of philosophical inquiry, has been largely dismissed by modern philosophers of science. The rarity of true reductions in scientific disciplines challenges the expectation that similar reductions can be achieved in psychology. Instead, he calls for a re-evaluation of the philosophical landscape surrounding the mind, emphasizing that the existing paradigms are fundamentally flawed.

The author proposes Cognitive Pluralism as a potential new framework for understanding human cognition. This view posits that our cognitive architecture is designed to engage with the world through multiple, idealized models, each tailored to specific problem domains. By embracing this plurality, Horst argues, we can better account for the diverse and often fragmented nature of knowledge, ultimately leading to a more nuanced understanding of the mind's relationship with the brain.