Epiphenomenalism - plato.stanford.edu  ## Metadata - Author: **plato.stanford.edu** - Full Title: Epiphenomenalism - Category: #articles - URL: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/epiphenomenalism/#:~:text=Epiphenomenalism%20is%20the%20view%20that%20mental%20events%20are%20caused%20by%20physical%20events%20in%20the%20brain%2C%20but%20have%20no%20effects%20upon%20any%20physical%20events.%20Behavior%20is%20caused%20by%20muscles%20that%20contract%20upon%20receiving%20neural%20impulses%2C%20and%20neural%20impulses%20are%20generated%20by%20input%20from%20other%20neurons%20or%20from%20sense%20organs. ## Highlights - Epiphenomenalism is the view that mental events are caused by physical events in the brain, but have no effects upon any physical events. Behavior is caused by muscles that contract upon receiving neural impulses, and neural impulses are generated by input from other neurons or from sense organs. On the epiphenomenalist view, mental events play no causal role in this process