The doctrine holding that mental activities are simply epiphenomena of the neural processes of the brain .

副现象论认为思想活动不过是大脑神经作用的副现象的学说。

Physical events can cause other physical events and physical events can cause mental events , but mental events cannot cause anything , since they are just causally inert by-products ( i.e. epiphenomena ) of the physical world .

物理事件能够导致其它的物理事件并且物理事件可以导致精神事件，但精神事件不能导致任何事情，这是由于它们只是以物理世界为原因的惰性的副产品（比如副现象）。