Abstract
Downward causation is frequently invoked in order to assign a causal role to mental properties. Such an appeal comes hand in hand with the idea that mental properties “emerge” from underlying physical properties. So, it seems, downward causation and emergence form a bundle. In my talk I will inquiry whether causation and emergence are compatible. On the one hand, and assuming that properties are individuated by their causal relations, it could be argued that if there is causation then emergence cannot be guaranteed because the causal role for the emergent property should have been among the relations of its realizer. On the other hand, if there is emergence it is not clear whether there is causation because the causal role is played by the realizers. In both cases the causal status of mental properties is jeopardized by the role of its realizers.