What does epiphenomenalism mean in philosophy?
Epiphenomenalism is the view that mental events are caused by physical events in the brain, but have no effects upon any physical events.
What according to Papineau is epiphenomenalism?
The epiphenomenalist can believe that the psychological is causally determined by the physical, yes-what she cannot believe is that the psychological is causally determined by the physical in such a way that pure physics alone contains within it the resources to describe and explain this relation of causal …
Is epiphenomenalism a form of materialism?
epiphenomenalistic materialism, also called epiphenomenalism, a philosophical theory, associated with mechanistic materialism, according to which mental states or events are by-products of states or events in the brain, necessarily caused by them but exercising no causality themselves.
What is the best argument against epiphenomenalism?
The most powerful argument against epiphenomenalism is that it is self-contradictory: if we have knowledge about epiphenomenalism, then our brains know about the existence of the mind, but if epiphenomenalism were correct, then our brains should not have any knowledge about the mind, because the mind does not affect …
Why did William James reject epiphenomenalism?
James argued that epiphenomenalism cannot account for the familiar fact that what we find pleasurable is typically good for us, while what we find painful is typically bad for us.
Why is epiphenomenalism considered as a version of property dualism?
And while epiphenomenalism is compatible with property dualism (since property dualism states that there are two kinds of properties in the world, and epiphenomenalism states that some mental properties are causally inert by-products of physical properties, thus accepting the existence of two properties), its coherence …
Is epiphenomenalism an interactionist dualism?
Epiphenomenalism and Interactionism: There are two kinds of mind-body dualism: epiphenomenalism and interactionism. The difference is concerned with the thesis that physical reality is causally closed: if any non-physical things or properties exist, they cannot influence the course of physical events.
Was “epiphenomenalism” introduced by Huxley?
In Carington (1949), H. H. Price expresses his belief that the term “epiphenomenalism” was introduced by T. H. Huxley. It is interesting, therefore, that the term “epiphenomenalism” does not occur in Huxley’s (1874) essay on our topic; nor have I been able to find it elsewhere in his published work.
What is the central motivation for epiphenomenalism?
The central motivation for epiphenomenalism lies in the premise that whenever there is a sufficient cause of a physical event, there is a sufficient physical cause of that event.
Why do Epiphenomenalists deny the existence of physical laws?
Since epiphenomenalists deny the identity of qualia and physical properties, such laws are not only contingent, but independent of physical laws. Thus, epiphenomenalists must concede the possibility of worlds in which the physical laws are as they are here, but there are no laws connecting physical events to qualitative events.
What is the best book on epiphenomenalism?
Epiphenomenalism, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2003 Edition), ed. by E. Zalta. Robinson, W. (2004). Understanding Phenomenal Consciousness. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Robinson, W. (2006). Knowing epiphenomena.