Supervenience and Realism (Avebury Series in Philosophy)

The profile of supervenience has heightened with its increasing role in ethics, aesthetics, the philosophy of science and metaphysics, together with the contribution it has made to the philosophy of mind in the last 20 years. This book seeks to offer an explanation of the source of supervenience in different areas, and the consequent anti-realistic connotations. Opening with a critical analysis of supervenience in ethics and the philosophy of mind, the book then explores a new anti-realist attitude towards the mental and moral discourses. The book also examines the place of emotion, thoughts and values within this context. Davidson's philosophy of mind, Hare's ethics, and Dummett's and Putnam's views on anti-realism form the frame of reference.