A Study Of Reductionism

Reductionism has been an interesting view and school, which once has won a high reputation under development of science and technology. However, reductionism has of favor past 50 years, which has become a old and conservative term. Recently, nonreductionism is a leading position. The paper insisted that principle of valuing theory of idea should be based on objective with diachronic and synchronic perspective, and opposed to local approach without holism so that smooth over our misuse.The paper argued that study of reductionism have four essential problems:(1)the"reductionism"has been used in myriad ways over the last years so that disagree views may be same on the occasion.(2) philosophical view including reductionism has been reductionism itself so that when the former was against the later has been against. For example, when mechanistic materialism was against reductionism has been denied. (3) Some characters of reductionism has been enlarged and regarded as simplicity, determinism. (4) Although idea of reductionism can traced to ancient times, reductionism was introduced only relatively recently and its research was late, in particular, domestic research was relatively week, so lack objective and reasonable understanding about reductionism, not be beneficial to discipline development..For this reason, the paper will be emphasized on third fields. (1) First, systematically regulating and clarifying definition of reductionism, types, origin, argument, will be benefit to understand for us. (2) The paper will be overall investigate development of reductionism, reveal interest of reductionism, analyze philosophical basement of reductionism, reflect limit of reductionism(.3)the paper will be analyzed the use of reductionism in disciplines which understand the benefit to discipline development.The paper suggests that (1) domestic and external research should be pay attention. Concept and definition of reductionism should be clear in order to reveal reasonable core. Reductionism should be a just and objective attitude, earnestly studied and evaluated so that default of its research will be make up, which will be benefit to exchange in academic.(2)reductionism research should be distinguished with ontological reductionism, Epistemological Reductionism, Methodological Reductionism .(3) reductionism is not only experience problem but also metaphysical problem, so we should make use of analytical philosophy, pay attention on relation among reality, idea and language, keep abreast of new direction of science and technology ,coordinate relation between science and philosophy and promote the development of reductionism itself and understanding of reductionism in other disciplines.The paper includes 5 chapters. In chapter 1,a brief history of reductionism domestic and external research and an introduction to the concept and definition, types of reductionism will be presented in order to smooth over our misuse. We should be distinguished, understood relation among all types of reductionism and reveal the direction of its research.In following chapter, origin and argument of reductionism will be examined in more detail. The chapter argues that reductionism results from originality of human being thought, need of explanation on simplicity and parsimony principle, forms in logical positivism under development of science and technology. Because of nonreductionism, reductionism has systemically and overall argument, such as, argument of physical close causation, argument of explanatory exclusion, argument of physical constituent, argument of mysterious connections.And in the neat two chapters contemporary scene and interest of reductionism will be introduced. In chapter 3, first stage of reductionism is introduced. Reductionism has limit in science area, which has regarded as explanation relation between theory, concept, and definition. Theoretic reductionism is a type of classic reductionism. although it went though form Nagel′s bridge law to new wave reductionism, which has benefit to accumulate science knowledge ,it has been criticized because of influence of logical positivism.In chapter 4, second stage of reductionism is introduced. From 1980-90th to now, many scholars have moved away from thinking of reduction as primarily a relationship between theories to thinking of reduction as primarily a relationship between properties and turn to metaphysical research. For example, Kim's function reductionism, Lewis's a prior reductionism, Heil's ontological reductionism, deepen the understanding of reductionism.In chapter 5 introduces individual cases of reductionism, in particularl,use of mind-body problem in psychology. Under naturalism, behaviorism, identity theory, functionism, eliminative materialism have advanced with thought of reductionism. Reductionism has opposed to project of dualism on mental explanation, reflected status of folk psychology, put forward important of physical basement, such as brain neural activity, which provide the essential train of thought for solving mind-body problem.