Epiphenomenalism
Epiphenomenalism
Real World
T.H. Huxley compared consciousness to the whistle of a steam engine: the engine's pistons (physical brain states) do all the causal work, while the whistle (conscious experience) is just a harmless byproduct — your feeling of deciding to raise your hand plays no role in actually raising it.
Exam Focus
Distinguish epiphenomenalism from interactionist dualism clearly; examiners penalise candidates who conflate 'mental events exist' with 'mental events cause things'.
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