Blackwell Reference Online

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M etaphysics Synonymous with idealism and panpsychism. The position that physical or bodily things can be explained in terms of mental things, and that the latter exist in a real sense. On this view, everything is mental in character. Mentalism is thus opposed to the materialist claim that all mental things are explained in terms of physical things and that the latter exist in a real sense. Berkeley and other mentalists claim that physical objects are nothing but sensations or perceptions. Leibniz said that the monads that compose the world are ultimately spiritual. Hegel and other absolute idealists consider the whole material world to be mental in nature. These philosophers hold different versions of mentalism. “Some theories of mind and body try to reduce body to mind or some property of mind. Such theories may be called mentalist theories.” D. Armstrong, A Materialist Theory of Mind ... log in or subscribe to read full text