This philosophical essay argues that mental causation, the idea that mental states can influence physical events, is not essential for explaining consciousness. The author proposes that "intelligible supervenience"—where higher-level mental facts can be clearly explained by underlying physical facts—is a more crucial concept. This view addresses the epistemic problems of epiphenomenalism, such as why consciousness evolved, without requiring direct mental causation. AI
RANK_REASON This is a philosophical essay discussing concepts in the philosophy of mind, not a release of new AI technology or research findings.
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