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    Therefore, plural entities exist as causally efficacious ... — Carmelics
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    Challenges→There are no plural entities.

    Therefore, plural entities exist as causally efficacious wholes, independent of whether their constituent singulars are themselves ultimately real.

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    1 reason for
    1 reason against

    Reasons For

    1 perspective
    Reason for
    ?
    • 1.Plural entities exhibit causal powers distinct from their parts: a team accomplishes what no individual member could alone.
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    • 2.Our best scientific theories treat composite systems (atoms, molecules, organisms) as fundamental causal agents in their domains.
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    • 3.Denying causal efficacy to wholes either requires eliminativism about most objects or posits ad hoc exceptions to causal power.
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    Reasons Against

    1 perspective
    Reason against
    ?
    • 1.All causation ultimately reduces to fundamental particles governed by basic physical laws; composite causation is merely descriptive shorthand.
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    • 2.Causal efficacy requires metaphysical fundamentality; if parts are real but wholes are not, wholes cannot be genuine causal agents.
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    • 3.Plural entities depend existentially on their constituents; dependent entities cannot be independent causally efficacious wholes.
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    Related

    All causation ultimately reduces to fundamental particles governed by basic phys...Causal efficacy requires metaphysical fundamentality; if parts are real but whol...Denying causal efficacy to wholes either requires eliminativism about most objec...Our best scientific theories treat composite systems (atoms, molecules, organism...
    +3 moreShow less
    Plural entities depend existentially on their constituents; dependent entities c...Plural entities exhibit causal powers distinct from their parts: a team accompli...There are no plural entities.

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    Perspectives
    2 (1 for, 1 against)
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