PART 1 Epiphenomenalism

What is an 'epiphenomenon'?

• The main product of a process

• A by-product of a process

• A type of substance

• A kind of property

Which of these (1 answer) is a by-product of a nuclear reactor?

• Energy

• Heat

• Steam

• Radioactive waste

Which 2 of these apply to mental states according to epiphenomenalist dualism?

• They have causal powers

• They do not have causal powers

• They are physical

• They are immaterial

Which of these people is most associated with epiphenomenalism?

• Descartes

• Elizabeth of Bohemia

• T.H. Huxley

• Charles Darwin

Which of these theories, popular amongst Victorian scientists, seeks to explain the motion of living things without appeal to any mental causation?

• Substance dualism

• Mechanism

• Quantum mechanics

• The big bang theory

What is usually meant by 'an automaton'?

• A mechanistic being that moves WITHOUT being conscious

• A mechanistic being that moves and IS conscious

When Huxley described human beings as 'conscious automata', what did he mean they were?

• Humans are purely mechanical beings without consciousness.
• Humans are conscious beings that operate in a mechanical or predetermined manner.

What analogy did Huxley put forth to illustrate that consciousness was a by-product?

• He likened it to a whistle being blown on a steam enginge

• He likened it to noise made by a motorcar

• He likened it to radioactive waste produced by nuclear reactors

What was the explanation behind this strength of epiphenomenalism? - •1. Solves the Cartesian interaction problem.

• It explains how mental states cause bodily movement

• It explains how mental states cause other mental states

• Mental states have no causal powers so it by-passes Elizabeth's mind to body interactionist problem

• Mental states have no causal powers so it by-passes Elizabeth's body to mind interactionist problem

In the second strength of epiphenomenalism, (2. Experimental evidence) what did Benjamin Libet's experiments seem to show? (2 answers)

• That we have free will

• That we don't have free will

• That signals to move our bodies are sent BEFORE we consciously will to move

• That signals to move our bodies are sent AFTER we consciously will to move