The concept of contextual emergence has been proposed as a non-reductive, yet well-defined relation between different levels of description of physical and other systems. It yields a formally sound and empirically applicable procedure to translate between descriptive levels in an overall consistent fashion. This will be discussed for the contextual emergence of mental states from a neural level of description.
Keywords: Bridge laws; Coarse graining; Cognitive neuroscience; Emergence; Interlevel relations; Mechanics; Mental causation; Philosophy of mind; Philosophy of science; Reduction; Symbolic dynamics; Thermodynamics.