Editing Epiphenomenon (section)

===Metaphysics===
In the philosophy of [[causality]], an epiphenomenon is any effect of a cause apart from the effect under primary consideration. In situations in which an event of interest {{var|E}} is caused by (or, is said to be caused by) an event {{var|C}}, which also causes (or, is said to cause) an event {{var|F}}, then {{var|F}} is an epiphenomenon. The problem of epiphenomena is often a counterexample to theories of causation. For example, take a simplified [[David Lewis (philosopher)|Lewisian]] counterfactual analysis of causation that the meaning of propositions about causal relationships between two events {{var|A}} and {{var|B}} can be explained in terms of counterfactual conditionals of the form "if {{var|A}} had not occurred then {{var|B}} would not have occurred". Suppose that {{var|C}} causes {{var|E}} and that {{var|C}} has an epiphenomenon {{var|F}}. We then have that if {{var|E}} had not occurred, then {{var|F}} would not have occurred, either. But then according to the counterfactual analysis of causation, the proposition that there is a causal dependence of {{var|F}} on {{var|E}} is true; that is, on this view, {{var|E}} caused {{var|F}}. Since this is not in line with how we ordinarily speak about causation (we would not say that {{var|E}} caused {{var|F}}), a counterfactual analysis seems to be insufficient.{{Citation needed |date=March 2024}}