Supervenient definitions
| Word backwards | tneinevrepus |
|---|---|
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| Syllabic division | su-per-ve-nient |
| Plural | The plural of the word "supervenient" is "supervenients." |
| Total letters | 12 |
| Vogais (3) | u,e,i |
| Consonants (6) | s,p,r,v,n,t |
Supervenience is a philosophical concept that pertains to the relationship between two sets of properties or features in a system. It suggests that the properties of a system at a higher level are determined by, or depend on, the properties at a lower level.
Understanding Supervenience
Supervenience implies that changes in the lower-level properties will result in corresponding changes in the higher-level properties. However, the reverse is not necessarily true - changes in higher-level properties do not always affect the lower-level properties.
Key Characteristics
One key characteristic of supervenience is that it does not allow for two identical systems to differ in their high-level properties without also differing in their low-level properties. This concept helps in understanding how complex systems can exhibit emergent properties that are not present at lower levels of analysis.
Supervenience is often used in discussions related to philosophy of mind, ethics, and metaphysics. In the philosophy of mind, it helps address questions about mental states in relation to physical states. For instance, the mental state of happiness may supervene on chemical processes in the brain without being reducible to them.
Applications in Ethics and Metaphysics
In ethics, supervenience is utilized to discuss moral properties and how they may be connected to non-moral properties. This enables philosophers to explore the relationship between moral truths and the natural world.
In metaphysics, supervenience assists in examining the nature of reality and how higher-level properties may depend on lower-level properties. This concept aids in understanding the structure of the world and the interconnectedness of different levels of existence.
Overall, supervenience provides a valuable framework for analyzing the relationships between different levels of properties within a system, offering insights into the complexity and interconnectedness of various aspects of reality.
Supervenient Examples
- The color of a painting is supervenient on the arrangement of pigments.
- In philosophy, mental properties are often thought to be supervenient on physical properties.
- The taste of a dish is supervenient on the ingredients and cooking method used.
- The emotional impact of a movie is supervenient on the script, acting, and direction.
- The smell of a perfume is supervenient on the combination of scents used.
- The behavior of a complex system is supervenient on the interactions of its individual components.
- The sound of a musical composition is supervenient on the arrangement of notes and instruments.
- The meaning of a sentence is supervenient on the words and grammar used.
- The strength of a material is supervenient on its molecular structure and bonding.
- The effectiveness of a drug is supervenient on its chemical composition and dosage.