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      SPINOZA’S NOMOLOUS MONISM: A Comparison of Spinoza and Donald Davidson’s Philosophy of Mind

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      FEDORKO-THESIS-2019.pdf (906.3Kb)
      Date
      2019-01-11
      Author
      Fedorko, Viktor 1990-
      ORCID
      0000-0001-5917-1742
      Type
      Thesis
      Degree Level
      Masters
      Metadata
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      Abstract
      In this thesis I defend the model of philosophy of mind, which is inspired by my reading of Spinoza`s Ethics. The model bears certain similarities with Donald Davidson's anomalous monism (AM), but is distinct insofar as it can solve problems plaguing Davidson's AM. I achieve this in three chapters. In the first chapter I offer my model for philosophy of mind inspired by my understanding of Spinoza. I claim that the only possible way for creating a coherent model for philosophy of mind out of Spinoza`s theoretical framework is to speculate that, among anything else, Spinoza`s system is an epistemological theory of true causal explanations of the world, which I named nomolous monism (NM). Then I defend Nomolous Monism against alternative interpretations. In the second chapter I bring Davidson to the discussion by identifying his reading of Spinoza`s philosophy of mind with Nomolous Monism. Then I analyze Davidson’s Anomalous Monism and I reply to its possible objections. Finally, in the third chapter I compare Nomolous Monism with Anomalous Monism. I argue that Nomolous Monism has the potential to overcome certain objections plaguing anomalous monism, while also discussing certain advantages that Davidson’s Anomalous Monism possesses.
      Degree
      Master of Arts (M.A.)
      Department
      Philosophy
      Program
      Philosophy
      Supervisor
      Moore, Dwayne
      Committee
      O`Hagan, Emer; Howe, Leslie; Noppen, Pierre-Francois; Teucher, Ulrich
      Copyright Date
      January 2019
      URI
      http://hdl.handle.net/10388/11714
      Subject
      Spinoza
      Davidson
      Monism
      Anomalous Monism
      Mind
      Epistemology
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