Issues facing epiphenomenalist dualism

Question 1

breifly define epiphenomenalism

Answer 1

poisition according to which mental states or events are caused by physical states or events in the brain but do not themselves cause anything.

Question 2

what are the three objections to epiphenomenalist dualism?

Answer 2

1. introscpective self knowledge
2. the challanege posed by the phenomenology of our mental life (ie as involving causal connections both psychological and psycho-physical)
3. the challanege posed by natural selection/evolution

Question 3

what is the challenge to epiphenomenalist dualism posed by the introspection of self-knowledge

Answer 3

• epiphenomenalism does against the common sense view that our volition (will) causes our actions.
• also introspection seems to shpw that mental states are causally related