Indeterminism in the brain

Biology and Philosophy 32 (6):1205-1223 (2017)
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Abstract

Does the brain behave indeterministically? I argue that accounting for ion channels, key functional units in the brain, requires indeterministic models. These models are probabilistic, so the brain does behave indeterministically in a weak sense. I explore the implications of this point for a stronger sense of indeterminism. Ultimately I argue that it is not possible, either empirically or through philosophical argument, to show that the brain is indeterministic in that stronger sense.

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2017-10-28

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References found in this work

Counterfactuals.David Lewis - 1973 - Malden, Mass.: Blackwell.
Thinking about mechanisms.Peter Machamer, Lindley Darden & Carl F. Craver - 2000 - Philosophy of Science 67 (1):1-25.
Humean Supervenience Debugged.David Lewis - 1994 - Mind 103 (412):473--490.

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