Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
🧠 Believer in mind theory 🧠 Mind as byproduct
epiphenomenalist

epiphenomenalist

9.9
Relating to the belief that thoughts come from the brain but do not affect the body
  • adjective
  • /ˌɛpɪfəˈnɒmɪnəlɪst/
  • Specialized
: epifenomenalista
  • Her epiphenomenalist perspective led her to doubt that thoughts could influence physical actions.

Examples

  • Some scientists adopt an epiphenomenalist view when discussing consciousness and brain activity.

  • Many philosophers debate the implications of an epiphenomenalist perspective on consciousness.

  • The philosopher defended an epiphenomenalist position in the debate about the mind and body.

  • An epiphenomenalist view is quite popular.

  • The philosopher defended an epiphenomenalist position in the debate about the mind and body.

  • Her epiphenomenalist perspective led her to doubt that thoughts could influence physical actions.

  • Many philosophers debate the implications of an epiphenomenalist perspective on consciousness.

Surface Forms

epiphenomenalist positive

Morphology

epiphenomenalist = epiphenomenal (opaque) = epi + phenomen + al + ist

The step from epiphenomenal to epiphenomenalist is a regular suffixal pattern, but the base adjective is already a specialized philosophical term.

Etymology

Epiphenomenalist comes from epi- 'upon' and phenomenon 'something that appears', so an epiphenomenon is like a secondary thing that appears on top of another. As an adjective, epiphenomenalist describes the view that thoughts are caused by brain events but do not change physical actions.