Developing higher-level cognitive theories by reduction

Within philosophical literature, higher-level cognitive concepts such as free will, authorship of actions, and conscious control are often questioned. Neurological and biochemical mechanisms underlying human behavior provide alternative explanations of action. Reduction of cognitive states to neurophysiologic states shows that higher-level cognitive concepts in principle can be eliminated, replacing them by neurophysiologic concepts. In contrast, in this paper it is shown how reduction relations can be used in a constructive manner to strengthen the scientific foundation of higher-level cognitive concepts and further develop higher-level theories in which these concepts play a role