@article {Bentwich:December 2006:0039-7857:451, author = "Bentwich, Jonathan", title = "The duality principle: irreducibility of sub-threshold psychophysical computation to neuronal brain activation", journal = "Synthese", volume = "153", year = "December 2006", abstract = "A key working hypothesis in neuroscience is `materialistic reductionism', i.e., the assumption whereby all physiological, behavioral or cognitive phenomena is produced by localized neurochemical brain activation (but not vice versa). However, analysis of sub-threshold Weber's psychophysical stimulation indicates its computational irreducibility to the direct interaction between psychophysical stimulation and any neuron/s. This is because the materialistic-reductionistic working hypothesis assumes that the determination of the existence or non-existence of any psychophysical stimulation [s] may only be determined through its direct interaction [di1] with a given neuron/s [N] that together forms the `neural registry' computational level [NR/di1]. But, this implies that in cases of (initial) sub-threshold (sensory-specific) psychophysical stimulation which is increased above the sensory-specific threshold but below Weber's psychophysical `dv'—the psychophysical computational processing [PCP] produces an apparently `computationally indeterminate' output. This is because materialistic reductionism asserts the contingency of PCP upon the existence of a direct interaction between `s' and `N' within the NR/di1 level, but in the special case of Weber's sub-threshold psychophysical stimulation the same PCP/di1 also asserts the non-existence of `s' (as demanded by Weber's psychophysical law). However, given robust empirical evidence indicating the capability of PCP to determine whether (or not) `s' exists, we must conclude that PCP may not be carried out from within NR's direct interaction between a particular psychophysical stimulation and any set of neuron/s in the brain. Hence, the Duality Principle asserts the conceptual irreducibility of sub-threshold psychophysical stimulation to any direct NR/di1: s-N interaction, thereby challenging the current materialistic-reductionistic assumption.", pages = "451-455(5)", url = "http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/klu/synt/2006/00000153/00000003/00009101" doi = "doi:10.1007/s11229-006-9101-5" }