epiphenomenalism

American  

[ep-uh-fuh-nom-uh-nl-iz-uhm] / ˌɛp ə fəˈnɒm ə nlˌɪz əm /

noun

1. the doctrine that consciousness is merely an epiphenomenon of physiological processes, and that it has no power to affect these processes.

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epiphenomenalism British  

/ ˌɛpɪfɪˈnɒmɪnəˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. the dualistic doctrine that consciousness is merely a by-product of physiological processes and has no power to affect them Compare interactionism parallelism

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Other Word Forms

• epiphenomenalist noun

Etymology

Origin of epiphenomenalism

First recorded in 1895–1900; epi- + phenomenalism

Example Sentences

The medical philosophers of the eighteenth century, with their cramped Cartesianism, have had a great part in the genesis of the "epiphenomenalism" and "monism" of the present day.

From Creative Evolution by Mitchell, Arthur

Since intelligence or consciousness must be provided for somehow, we are forced back upon either interactionism or else epiphenomenalism, more or less disguised under a euphonious name, such as psycho-physical parallelism or the double-aspect theory.

From Creative Intelligence Essays in the Pragmatic Attitude by Bode, Boyd H.

For these and other reasons epiphenomenalism is today held by few, if any, philosophers. 3rd.

From The Problems of Psychical Research Experiments and Theories in the Realm of the Supernormal by Carrington, Hereward