Epiphenomenalism

Epiphenomenalism is a philosophical position concerning the relationship between mind and body, specifically asserting that mental events are caused by physical events in the brain, but have no causal power themselves. It posits that consciousness and other mental states are byproducts or side effects (epiphenomena) of physical processes, essentially being 'shadows' of physical activity. While mental states can be experienced and described, they do not causally influence subsequent physical events or behavior. This contrasts with interactive dualism and other views that grant causal efficacy to mental states. The core tenet is the causal closure of the physical world: every physical event has a physical cause.

Epiphenomenalism meaning with examples

• A neuroscientist researching brain activity might adopt epiphenomenalism, explaining thoughts as a mere consequence of neuronal firings. For example, feeling sad is caused by the release of certain neurotransmitters, but the feeling of sadness itself doesn't cause you to cry; the underlying brain activity does. This position avoids explaining the interaction between mental and physical events.
• Consider a robot that perfectly mimics human behavior, including expressing emotions like joy or sadness. According to epiphenomenalism, these emotional displays are a consequence of the robot's internal physical processes, without the robot genuinely feeling or being influenced by these simulated emotions. The physical architecture generates the behaviors, not the 'feeling'.
• If someone believes that seeing a beautiful sunset causes a feeling of awe, but argues that this feeling of awe doesn't, in turn, make you take a picture – instead, the visual and brain processes cause you to act and to feel, while the emotion is just a correlate – the position aligns with epiphenomenalism. The feeling is 'along for the ride'.
• A theistic philosopher, while believing in a God that sets the physical laws in motion, may hold that the experience of religious awe stems directly from physical brain activity, not God’s influence. While a sense of 'divine presence' might be experienced, from an epiphenomenal viewpoint, these are byproducts of biological processes, not triggers for behaviour.
• Suppose you decide to raise your hand to answer a question. epiphenomenalism claims the decision arises from brain processes. The conscious 'decision' is generated by these processes, but does not actively contribute to lifting your hand, the brain causes everything. Your mental state is a byproduct of the neural activity, and your arm moves because of physical causes.