anomalous monism: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Formal, Academic
Quick answer
What does “anomalous monism” mean?
A philosophical theory positing that all mental events are physical events, but that mental concepts cannot be reduced to or explained by physical concepts, making the mental realm 'anomalous' or lawless in relation to the physical.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A philosophical theory positing that all mental events are physical events, but that mental concepts cannot be reduced to or explained by physical concepts, making the mental realm 'anomalous' or lawless in relation to the physical.
It is a position in the philosophy of mind, primarily associated with Donald Davidson, which seeks to reconcile the causal interaction of mind and body with the apparent failure of psychophysical laws. It asserts token identity (each mental event is identical to some physical event) but denies type identity (there are no strict laws connecting mental and physical event types).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Spelling follows regional norms for the component words (e.g., 'anomalous' is spelled the same).
Connotations
Purely technical; carries the intellectual connotations of analytic philosophy.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency outside academic philosophy departments, identical in both regions.
Grammar
How to Use “anomalous monism” in a Sentence
[Anomalous monism] + [third-person singular verb] e.g., 'Anomalous monism attempts to...'[Philosopher] + [defends/subscribes to/rejects] + [anomalous monism]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “anomalous monism” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- His position is essentially Davidsonian, an anomalous monist perspective.
American English
- The anomalous monist solution avoids the pitfalls of reductionism.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Never used.
Academic
Exclusively used in philosophy of mind, metaphysics, and sometimes cognitive science seminars and literature.
Everyday
Never used.
Technical
The primary context; a technical term of art in philosophy.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “anomalous monism”
Strong
Neutral
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “anomalous monism”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “anomalous monism”
- Confusing it with property dualism. Using it to mean 'weird belief in one thing'. Mispronouncing 'monism' as /ˈmoʊnɪzəm/ (like 'moan') instead of /ˈmɒnɪzəm/ or /ˈmɑːnɪzəm/.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is explicitly a form of monism (physicalism). It denies substance dualism but accepts a conceptual or explanatory dualism, where mental descriptions are not reducible to physical descriptions.
It means 'not lawful' or 'not governed by strict laws'. It indicates that while mental events are physical, there are no strict, exceptionless scientific laws that can be formulated to connect mental event types (like beliefs, desires) with physical event types.
Simple or reductive materialism claims mental states can be fully explained by or reduced to physical states. Anomalous monism is a non-reductive physicalism: it agrees everything is physical but insists mental concepts are autonomous and cannot be reduced or eliminated.
The American philosopher Donald Davidson, who formulated the theory in his 1970 essay 'Mental Events'.
Anomalous monism is usually formal, academic in register.
Anomalous monism: in British English it is pronounced /əˈnɒmələs ˈmɒnɪz(ə)m/, and in American English it is pronounced /əˈnɑːmələs ˈmɑːnɪzəm/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a single (monism) lawless (anomalous) detective—he works for the physical police force but follows his own unpredictable mental rules.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE MIND IS A WILD CARD IN A PHYSICAL DECK.
Practice
Quiz
What is the core claim of anomalous monism regarding substances?