Changes

[[File:lighterstill.jpg]][[File:Supervenience.jpg|right|frame]]

[[File:lighterstill.jpg]][[File:Supervenience2.jpg|right|frame]]

==Etymology==

==Etymology==

[[Latin]] supervenire, from super- + venire to come — more at come

[[Latin]] supervenire, from super- + venire to come — more at come

*Date: circa [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/17th_Century 1648]

*Date: circa [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/17th_Century 1648]

==Definition==

==Definition==

*to follow or result as an additional, adventitious, or unlooked-for development

*to follow or result as an additional, adventitious, or unlooked-for development

==Description==

==Description==

In [[philosophy]], '''supervenience''' is a kind of dependency [[relationship]], typically held to obtain between [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Set_(mathematics) sets] of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Property_(philosophy) properties]. According to one [[standard]] definition, a set of properties A supervenes on a set of properties B, if and only if any two objects x and y which share all properties in B (are "B-indiscernible") must also share all properties in A (are "A-indiscernible"). That is, A-properties supervene on B-properties if being B-indiscernible implies [[being]] A-indiscernible. The properties in B are called the base properties (or sometimes subjacent or subvenient properties), and the properties in A are called the supervenient properties. Equivalently, if two [[things]] differ in their supervenient properties then they must differ in their base properties. To give a somewhat simplified example, if [[psychological]] properties supervene on physical properties, then any two [[persons]] who are [[physically]] indistinguishable must also be psychologically indistinguishable; or equivalently, any two persons who are psychologically [[different]] (e.g., having different [[thoughts]]), must be physically different as well. Importantly, the reverse does not follow (supervenience is not [[symmetric]]): even if being the same [[physically]] implies being the same [[psychologically]], two persons can be the same psychologically yet different physically: that is, psychological properties can be multiply realized in physical properties.

In [[philosophy]], '''supervenience''' is a kind of dependency [[relationship]], typically held to obtain between [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Set_(mathematics) sets] of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Property_(philosophy) properties]. According to one [[standard]] definition, a set of properties A supervenes on a set of properties B, if and only if any two objects x and y which share all properties in B (are "B-indiscernible") must also share all properties in A (are "A-indiscernible"). That is, A-properties supervene on B-properties if being B-indiscernible implies [[being]] A-indiscernible. The properties in B are called the base properties (or sometimes subjacent or subvenient properties), and the properties in A are called the supervenient properties. Equivalently, if two [[things]] differ in their supervenient properties then they must differ in their base properties. To give a somewhat simplified example, if [[psychological]] properties supervene on physical properties, then any two [[persons]] who are [[physically]] indistinguishable must also be psychologically indistinguishable; or equivalently, any two persons who are psychologically [[different]] (e.g., having different [[thoughts]]), must be physically different as well. Importantly, the reverse does not follow (supervenience is not [[symmetric]]): even if being the same [[physically]] implies being the same [[psychologically]], two persons can be the same psychologically yet different physically: that is, psychological properties can be multiply realized in physical properties.

Supervenience has [[traditionally]] been used to describe relationships between sets of properties in a [[manner]] which does not imply a strong [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reductionism reductive] [[relationship]].[1] For example, many hold that [[economic]] properties supervene on physical properties, in that if two worlds were exactly the same physically, they would also be the same economically. However, this does not entail that economics can be reduced in any straightforward way to [[physics]]. Thus, supervenience allows one to hold that "high-level [[phenomena]]" (like those of [[economics]], [[psychology]], or [[aesthetics]]) depend, [[ultimate]]ly, on physics, without assuming that one can [[study]] those high-level [[phenomena]] using means appropriate to physics.

Supervenience has [[traditionally]] been used to describe relationships between sets of properties in a [[manner]] which does not imply a strong [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reductionism reductive] [[relationship]].[1] For example, many hold that [[economic]] properties supervene on physical properties, in that if two worlds were exactly the same physically, they would also be the same economically. However, this does not entail that economics can be reduced in any straightforward way to [[physics]]. Thus, supervenience allows one to hold that "high-level [[phenomena]]" (like those of [[economics]], [[psychology]], or [[aesthetics]]) depend, [[ultimate]]ly, on physics, without assuming that one can [[study]] those high-level [[phenomena]] using means appropriate to physics.

== External links ==

== External links ==

* [http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/supervenience/ Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry]

* [https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/supervenience/ Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry]

* [http://www.iep.utm.edu/s/superven.htm Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry]

* [https://www.iep.utm.edu/s/superven.htm Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry]

[[Category: Philosophy]]

[[Category: Philosophy]]