Of course not.
But consider this. A negatively charged substance has the power to attract other substances to itslf. Its causal power thus seems to have a centeredness, a de se character. The substance’s power somehow distinguishes between the substance itself and other things.
Put this way, Leibniz's (proto?)panpsychism doesn’t seem that far a departure from a more sedate commitment to causal powers.
Who is Leiniz?
ReplyDeleteA famous philosopher in Leizig?
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure this is true for a fundamental particle: "The substance’s power somehow distinguishes between the substance itself and other things." For example, from memory, our modern understanding of the "size" of an electron assumes a point-sized object that gains its effective size through self-interaction. But I will admit my memory and understanding is hazy on this.
ReplyDeleteDoes an electron repel itself, though?
ReplyDeleteOne interpretation of electron "size" relies on equating the potential energy of the inner mutual repulsion of the negative charge "distribution" with the mass-energy of the electron, I think. But I'm not sure whether this interpretation has any empirical significance.
ReplyDelete