HON 1010C Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Ontological Argument, Elizabeth Anscombe, Supervenience

• School: St. John's University
• Department: HON - HONORS
• Course: HON 1010C
• Professor: Denis Sullivan

Document Summary

Supervenient descriptions: a b a is a subset of b (mathematical terms, a is supervenient to b (philosophical terms, both mean there is nothing in a that cannot be accounted for by b . Descriptions in terms of the elementary particle of physics define modern materialism. Descriptions of observable objects and events are supervenient to descriptions of elementary particles: general notion: any description other than the description by elementary particles is supervenient to descriptions by elementary particles. Answer according to anscombe: that depends (on which viewpoint you take) Second viewpoint: quantum physics: determinism is false. Anscombe"s belief: any number of events can result from an action, shows we don"t have to believe that all other descriptions are supervenient to descriptions of elementary particles. A. k. a there are some descriptions which aren"t supervenient. Position rejected by anscombe: causal account of intentional action, caused by bodily movements, caused by wants of the mind of the agents (by onset of desire or belief)