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neutral monism
Also known as: neutral monist, Neutral monists
Facts (42)
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Panpsychism - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org 10 facts
perspectivePhilip Goff believes that neutral monism can reasonably be regarded as a form of panpsychism in so far as it is a dual aspect view.
claimIn versions of neutral monism where the fundamental constituents are both mental and physical, the philosophy may lead to panpsychism, panprotopsychism, or dual aspect theory.
claimRussellian monism is a type of neutral monism attributed to Bertrand Russell, also referred to as Russell's panpsychism or Russell's neutral monism.
claimDavid Chalmers writes in 'The Conscious Mind' that in some instances, the differences between Russell's neutral monism and his own property dualism are merely semantic.
claimNeutral monism is a philosophical position that can be formulated in ways where the world's fundamental constituents are neither mental nor physical, making it distinct from panpsychism.
perspectiveProponents of panpsychism, particularly those with neutral monist tendencies, argue that the problem of mental causation is a false dichotomy because mind and matter are two sides of the same coin, and mental causation is merely the extrinsic description of intrinsic properties of mind.
claimBertrand Russell held neutral monist views that tended toward panpsychism.
claimNeutral monism rejects the dichotomy of mind and matter by positing a third substance as fundamental that is neither mental nor physical.
claimNeutral monism, panpsychism, and dual aspect theory are grouped together or used interchangeably in some contexts.
perspectiveNeutral monists reject dichotomous views of mind-body interaction.
Hard Problem of Consciousness | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy iep.utm.edu 6 facts
claimNeutral monism is considered a reductive position because it explains the presence of phenomenal properties by reference to a more basic, non-phenomenal and non-physical substance.
claimNeutral monism, panpsychism, and dualism all share the premise that consciousness is as basic as, or more basic than, physical properties.
claimDual-aspect, neutral monist, and panpsychic accounts of consciousness hold that the connection between the physical brain and phenomenal consciousness is one of brute constitution, where physical and phenomenal properties constantly co-occur while remaining metaphysically distinct.
claimDual aspect theory, neutral monism, and panpsychism hold that phenomenal properties cannot be reduced to basic physical properties, but may reduce to a more basic substance that possesses both physical and phenomenal properties.
claimNeutral monism and panpsychism have experienced a revival in contemporary philosophy as responses to the hard problem of consciousness.
claimNeutral monism posits that a basic substance exists which is neither phenomenal nor physical, yet underlies both.
The Hard Problem of Consciousness | Springer Nature Link link.springer.com 6 facts
claimOntological models are often categorized as 'monism' (including neutral monism, dual aspect monism, type-F monism, and Russell's monism) or 'dualism' (including aspect-dualism and naturalistic dualism) based on how they interpret properties as aspects or emergent ontic categories.
claimAccording to Bertrand Russell's neutral monism, the intrinsic essence of reality is neither physical nor phenomenal.
claimNeutral monism models suggest that there is a fundamental universal principle or substance that is neither phenomenal nor physical, but of an inscrutable quality that can only be deduced indirectly from its manifestations.
claimPhilosophical systems like Spinoza’s neutral monism and Leibniz’s monadology were based on logical speculation without empirical evidence concerning the physical correlates of conscious experience.
claimBaruch Spinoza’s neutral monism and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz’s monadology were attempts to avoid a rupture between the physical and the phenomenal realms.
claimAspect dualism and neutral monism are often used as synonymous terms to refer to David Chalmers’s Type-F monism.
Hard problem of consciousness - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org 5 facts
claimWilliam James, Alfred North Whitehead, Arthur Eddington, and Bertrand Russell defended forms of panpsychism and neutral monism in the early twentieth century.
claimNeutral monism holds that entities are composed of a substance with both mental and physical aspects.
claimPanpsychism and neutral monism are philosophical views that consider consciousness to be intrinsic to matter.
referenceLeopold Stubenberg authored the entry 'Neutral monism' for the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, edited by Edward N. Zalta in 2016.
claimThomas Nagel, Galen Strawson, Philip Goff, and David Chalmers have revived interest in panpsychism and neutral monism in recent decades.
Panpsychism - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy plato.stanford.edu Jul 18, 2017 3 facts
claimWilliam James's panpsychism originated from his "neutral monism," which posits that the fundamental nature of reality is neither mental nor physical, but a third form that can be regarded as either mental or physical from different viewpoints.
referenceE.L. Holman published the article 'Panpsychism, Physicalism, Neutral Monism and the Russellian Theory of Mind' in the Journal of Consciousness Studies in 2008.
referenceThe chapter "Panpsychism and Neutral Monism: How to Make Up One’s Mind" was published in the book edited by Brüntrup and Jaskolla in 2016, pages 249–282.
PANPSYCHISM (Philosophy of Mind Series) - Amazon.com amazon.com 2 facts
perspectiveThe author argues that Galen Strawson's terminology regarding physicalism is confusing because his definition allows for a person to be a 'physicalist' while simultaneously holding views such as neutral monism, dual-aspect monism, dualism, or idealism.
perspectiveThe reviewer argues that panpsychism is not limited to physicalism but can be integrated into any metaphysical system, including neutral monism, dual-aspect monism, dualism, and idealism.
Panpsychism (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy/Fall 2015 Edition) plato.stanford.edu May 23, 2001 2 facts
claimGottfried Wilhelm Leibniz's panpsychism is a form of idealism that favors the mental realm, distinguishing it from Baruch Spinoza's neutral monism.
claimWilliam James's panpsychism originated from his 'neutral monism,' which posits that reality is neither inherently mental nor physical but possesses a basic character that can be viewed as either.
Consciousness (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy/Fall 2025 ... plato.stanford.edu Jun 18, 2004 2 facts
claimNeutral monism can be combined with panprotopsychism, a theory proposed by David Chalmers (1996) suggesting that proto-mental aspects of micro-constituents can combine to create full consciousness.
perspectiveNeutral monism may not be classified as a version of property dualism if dualism is defined as the existence of two distinct realms of fundamental entities, because neutral monism does not regard either mental or physical properties as ultimate or fundamental.
Consciousness, Physicalism, and Panpsychism - R Discovery discovery.researcher.life May 1, 2013 2 facts
claimNeutral monism, as analyzed in the context of William James's philosophy, does not provide complete independence of a substance from mental and physical properties, which may lead the theory toward panpsychism unless it is an idealistic variety.
referenceThe research article titled 'Consciousness, Physicalism, and Panpsychism' (published December 30, 2020) introduces William James's philosophy of mind, specifically examining his views on panpsychism, neutral monism, and the combination problem.
Dualism (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy/Winter 2016 Edition) plato.stanford.edu Aug 19, 2003 1 fact
claimPhilosophical concepts related to the mind-body problem include behaviorism, consciousness, eliminative materialism, epiphenomenalism, functionalism, identity theory, intentionality, mental causation, neutral monism, and physicalism.
The Conscious Mind - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org 1 fact
perspectiveDavid Chalmers is open to the possibility of consciousness being ubiquitous and expresses sympathy for neutral monism.
Theories and Methods of Consciousness biomedres.us Jan 29, 2024 1 fact
claimMichael Silberstein and Anthony Chemero proposed extending neutral monism as a solution to the hard problem of consciousness.
Panpsychism - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy plato.stanford.edu May 23, 2001 1 fact
referenceThe Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry on Panpsychism lists related entries including George Berkeley, consciousness, René Descartes, dualism, emergent properties, epiphenomenalism, Charles Hartshorne, William James, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, mereology, monism, neutral monism, pantheism, physicalism, qualia, quantum theory and consciousness, Josiah Royce, Baruch Spinoza, Alfred North Whitehead, and Wilhelm Maximilian Wundt.