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Exceptionalist naturalism: Human agency and the causal order
1Philosophy Department and Cognitive Science Program, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada.
Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology (2006)
|October 22, 2016
Summary
People view human agency as exceptional, even when acknowledging its causes. This folk metaphysics suggests humans and animals are special within the natural world, distinct from machines.
Area of Science:
- Metaphysics
- Cognitive Science
- Philosophy of Mind
Background:
- Folk metaphysics explores ordinary beliefs about agency.
- Competing theories include transcendence, naturalism, and exceptionalist naturalism.
- Understanding human agency is central to understanding ourselves.
Purpose of the Study:
- To empirically investigate folk metaphysical beliefs about human agency.
- To determine which of the three competing theories best reflects common views.
- To explore how humans perceive agency in different entities.
Main Methods:
- Seven experiments were conducted to test competing theories of folk metaphysics.
- Participants evaluated scenarios involving human, animal, and artificial agents.
- Data collected on beliefs about agency, causality, and exceptionalism.
Main Results:
- Participants consistently viewed human agents as capable of resisting determined outcomes.
- Non-human animal agents were perceived similarly to humans, but distinct from inanimate objects.
- Beliefs acknowledged human actions as caused by psychological, neurological, and social factors.
Conclusions:
- Folk metaphysics views human and non-human animal agency as exceptional within the natural order.
- This aligns with exceptionalist naturalism, suggesting agency is natural yet special.
- Common beliefs about agency are nuanced, integrating causal factors with perceived exceptionalism.
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