?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=Supervenience+and+Implementation&rft.creator=Sloman%2C+Aaron&rft.subject=Theoretical+Biology&rft.subject=Artificial+Intelligence&rft.subject=Epistemology&rft.subject=Metaphysics&rft.subject=Philosophy+of+Mind&rft.description=How+can+a+virtual+machine+X+be+implemented+in+a+physical+machine+Y%3F+We+know+the+answer+as+far+as+compilers%2C+editors%2C+theorem-provers%2C+operating+systems+are+concerned%2C+at+least+insofar+as+we+know+how+to+produce+these+implemented+virtual+machines%2C+and+no+mysteries+are+involved.+This+paper+is+about+extrapolating+from+that+knowledge+to+the+implementation+of+minds+in+brains.+By+linking+the+philosopher's+concept+of+supervenience+to+the+engineer's+concept+of+implementation%2C+we+can+illuminate+both.+In+particular%2C+by+showing+how+virtual+machines+can+be+implemented+in+causally+complete+physical+machines%2C+and+still+have+causal+powers%2C+we+remove+some+philosophical+problems+about+how+mental+processes+can+be+real+and+can+have+real+effects+in+the+world+even+if+the+underlying+physical+implementation+has+no+causal+gaps.+This+requires+a+theory+of+ontological+levels.&rft.date=1998-01&rft.type=Departmental+Technical+Report&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpostscript&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Fcogprints.org%2F333%2F2%2FSloman.supervenience.and.implementation.ps&rft.identifier=++Sloman%2C+Aaron++(1998)+Supervenience+and+Implementation.++%5BDepartmental+Technical+Report%5D+++++&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Fcogprints.org%2F333%2F