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    The regress argument thus collapses if psychology is a fa... — Carmelics
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    Challenges→Mental predicates cannot constitute mentality, because mentality is presupposed by the mental predicates themselves.

    The regress argument thus collapses if psychology is a failed proto-science rather than an irreducible special science.

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    Reasons For

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    • 1.Psychology's explanatory gaps (consciousness, intentionality) suggest it lacks fundamental principles needed for a genuine special science.
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    • 2.If psychology reduces to neurobiology, the regress of mental explanations terminates at physical laws, avoiding infinite justification.
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    • 3.Proto-sciences like alchemy failed because they posited irreducible entities; psychology's mental causes may face the same fatal flaw.
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    Reasons Against

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    • 1.Psychology successfully predicts behavior and generates testable theories independent of neurobiology, meeting core criteria for special science status.
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    • 2.Calling psychology 'failed' begs the question—it assumes reducibility rather than arguing that autonomous psychological laws are impossible.
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    • 3.Multiple realizability of mental states in different physical substrates shows psychology cannot collapse into neurobiology without explanatory loss.
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    Consciousness & Mind1 linkedPhilosophy of Language1 linked

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    Calling psychology 'failed' begs the question—it assumes reducibility rather tha...If psychology reduces to neurobiology, the regress of mental explanations termin...Mental predicates cannot constitute mentality, because mentality is presupposed ...Multiple realizability of mental states in different physical substrates shows p...
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    Proto-sciences like alchemy failed because they posited irreducible entities; ps...Psychology successfully predicts behavior and generates testable theories indepe...Psychology's explanatory gaps (consciousness, intentionality) suggest it lacks f...

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