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35 - Levels: What Are They and What Are They Good For?

from Section 12

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 April 2020

Kenneth S. Kendler
Affiliation:
Virginia Commonwealth University
Josef Parnas
Affiliation:
University of Copenhagen
Peter Zachar
Affiliation:
Auburn University, Montgomery
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Summary

This chapter explores some issues having to do with levels in psychiatry and elsewhere in science. I distinguish among several different notions of level and discuss why talk of levels is sometimes useful in science, although it can also be a source of considerable confusion. I defend the claim that it is legitimate to think in terms of causal relations between levels (including so-called downward causation from upper to lower levels) against several recent criticisms, providing scientific example of when this motion seems appropriate.

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Chapter
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Levels of Analysis in Psychopathology
Cross-Disciplinary Perspectives
, pp. 424 - 449
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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