Single Idea 3392

[catalogued under 15. Nature of Minds / A. Nature of Mind / 3. Mental Causation]

Full Idea

Unless mental properties have causal powers, there would be little point in worrying about them.

Gist of Idea

Mind is only interesting if it has causal powers

Source

Jaegwon Kim (Philosophy of Mind [1996], p.118)

Book Reference

Kim,Jaegwon: 'Philosophy of Mind' [Westview 1998], p.118


A Reaction

This doesn't, on its own, actually rule out epiphenomenalism, but it does show why it barely qualifies as a serious theory. One might, in fact, say that we simply can't worry about something which has no causal powers. The powers might not be physical…