epiphenomenalism

  1. Noun.  (philosophy, psychology) The doctrine that mental states and processes are simply incidental effects of physiological events in the brain or nervous system and cannot themselves cause any effects in the material world.
  2. Noun.  (philosophy, psychology) Such a doctrine, as advanced by a particular thinker or school of thought.

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This entry was last updated on RefTopia from its source on 3/20/2012.