Supervenience Theory

Supervenience theory suggests that mental states depend on physical states, meaning that any change in mental states must be accompanied by a change in physical states. For example, if someone feels happy (mental state), there must be a corresponding change in their brain activity (physical state). This relationship implies that while mental processes can influence behavior, they do not exist independently of the physical body. Therefore, understanding mental causation involves recognizing how our thoughts and feelings emerge from, and are influenced by, the underlying physical processes in our brains.