mentalism
mentalism — noun
1. the philosophical position that the mind is the deepest form of reality, so that
the philosophical position that the mind is the deepest form of reality, so that physical things are nothing more than ideas or perceptions within a mind
In philosophy class, Bao learned that mentalism views the physical world as a set of ideas.
Professor Nellie argued that mentalism helps explain why people see the same object differently.
argue that + clause showing academic argument pattern
An essay on mentalism helped Henry see why some thinkers believe only minds exist.
The debate between mentalism and materialism has shaped Western thought for over three hundred years.
Noa wrote a short paper comparing mentalism to the view that only matter is real.
- idealism
broader category; mentalism is a specific form of idealism that treats the mind as the sole substance
- immaterialism
nearly synonymous with Berkeley's version of mentalism; less common in modern usage
- subjectivism
focuses on personal experience rather than the mind as a universal reality
- materialism
the view that matter is the fundamental reality and mind arises from physical processes
- physicalism
modern form of materialism; holds that everything is physical or supervenes on the physical
用法筆記
Frequently contrasted with materialism or physicalism in academic writing. This sense is almost always uncountable.
常見錯誤
2. the view that mental activities such as thinking and feeling are fundamentally s
the view that mental activities such as thinking and feeling are fundamentally separate from the physical brain processes that happen at the same time
Amani's research paper explored whether mentalism can explain the feeling of free will.
explore + whether-clause showing research context
At the conference, Dr. Nikhil defended mentalism against scientists who reduce thought to brain chemistry.
defend + against + noun phrase showing opposition
Critics of mentalism argue that brain scans show no separate mental layer beyond neural activity.
Salma found mentalism useful for talking about emotions that brain science cannot fully describe.
- substance dualism
the broader category of views that mind and matter are different substances; mentalism is one version of it
- mind-body dualism
general term for any theory that separates mental and physical; more commonly used than mentalism
- physicalism
the view that mental states are identical to or fully caused by brain states
- eliminative materialism
the radical view that mental concepts like belief and desire will eventually be replaced by neuroscience terms
用法筆記
This sense is distinguished from sense 1 by its narrower focus on the mind-brain relationship rather than reality as a whole. Modern philosophers of mind often debate this sense of mentalism alongside dualism.