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The exclusion principle is a philosophical principle that states:

If an event e causes event e* , then there is no event e# such that e# is non-supervenient on e and e# causes e* .

In physicalism [ edit ]

The exclusion principle is most commonly applied when one poses this scenario: One usually considers the desire to lift one's arm as a mental event, and the lifting of one's arm a physical event. According to the exclusion principle, there must be no event that does not supervene on e while causing e* . To show this better, substitute " the desire to lift one's arm " for " e ", and " one to lift their arm " for " e* ".

If the desire to lift one's arm causes one to lift their arm , then there is no event such that it is non-supervenient on the desire to lift one's arm and it causes one to lift their arm .

This is interpreted as meaning that mental events supervene upon the physical. However, some philosophers do not accept this principle, and accept epiphenomenalism , which states that mental events are caused by physical events, but physical events are not caused by mental events (called causal impotence ). However, If e# does not cause e , then there is no way to verify that e* exists. Yet, this debate has not been settled in the philosophical community.

External links [ edit ]

• Princeton University Press
• Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

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