Nomological danglers

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nomological danglers is a term famously used by Scottish-Australian philosopher Jack Smart in his article Sensations and Brain Processes. He credits the term to Herbert Feigl and his article The "Mental" and the "Physical". It refers to a 'dangling' law, one which does not fit into the system of established laws. In the context Smart uses it, he is criticising dualism and epiphenomenalism as philosophies of mind, and the concerns over physical and causal laws they raise. Smart puts forward his own theory in the form of Materialism, claiming it is a better theory, in part because it is free from these nomological danglers, making it superior in accordance with Occam's Razor.

[edit] References

  • H. Feigl, "The 'Mental' and the 'Physical' " in: Minnesota Studies in the Philosophy of Science, II, pp. 370-497
  • JJC. Smart, "Sensations and Brain Processes" in: Philosophical Review 68, pp. 141-156
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../n/o/m/Nomological_danglers.html"