Oscillations between reductionism and non-reductive physicalism in John Searle's biological naturalism

The paper examines Searle's conception of the reduction of consciousness (especially his theory of its causal powers), which seems confused and incoherent. Such incoherence, hovever, is not inevitable, as biological naturalism has elements that enable the articulation of a better theory of causal powers. An examination of Pereboom and Kornblith's theory allows us to understand why an identity statement of causal powers leads to a reductionism. This theory indicates a promising path for improving biological naturalism.