Epiphenomenalism, the Problem with Property Dualism

We show that theories of qualia based upon “property dualism” (sometimes called “natural dualism” and “dual aspect theories”) lead to a form of epiphenomenalism, the situation where our behavior does not causally flow from our subjective experiences. That would mean that our claims, beliefs, and memories about our subjective experiences do not directly arise from our real subjective experiences. We will show that this ultimately leads to what I call “zombie solipsism” and to cognitive instability. This argument should allow us to reject “property dualism” in all its forms. If we reject property dualism, we must continue to search for some other explanation for subjective