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85How I (freely) Raised My Arm. Downward, Structural, Substance CausationMind and Matter 14 (2): 203-228. 2016.I develop and defend a model of downward causation denoted as downward, structural, substance causation. This model is based on the idea that higher-level, strongly emergent substances can cause something at lower levels by imposing certain structures on lower-level goings-on. After providing a sketch of the model and of its ontological assumptions, I apply it to the analysis of how free mental causes can structure neural goings-on. I defend three theses following from such an analysis, and I te…Read more
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39Who's Afraid of Non-Existent Manifestions?In Francesco Federico Calemi (ed.), Metaphysics and Scientific Realism: Essays in Honour of David Malet Armstrong, De Gruyter. pp. 193-206. 2016.I shall defend in this paper the thesis that, if there are irreducible powers such as the power to produce a certain object (generative powers), then there are objects that do not exist and they are part of the fundamental level of the universe. Thus, generative powers come together with Meinongianism. After having clarified my argument, I shall examine and criticize Armstrong (1997)’s attempt to reduce powers to other sorts of entities. Finally, I shall deal with five accounts of generative pow…Read more
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107A Sketch of (an actually serious) Meinongian PresentismMetaphysica 17 (1): 1-18. 2016.In this paper I shall “draw” a sketch of a version of Meinongian Presentism. After having briefly presented some data that presentists need to explain and three problems that typically affect presentism (the triviality objection, the problem of the reference of true propositions’ constituents that seem to involve merely past and merely future objects, the truthmaking problem), I shall clarify the bases of my theory. First, I shall reject the actualist presentist assumption, according to which th…Read more
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Università di MacerataAssistant Professor
Università di Macerata
PhD, 2014
Areas of Specialization
Metaphysics |
Philosophy of Mind |
Areas of Interest
Metaphysics |
Philosophy of Mind |