Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Nearby Words

monist

 - 4 dictionary results

mon⋅ism

  [mon-iz-uhm, moh-niz-uhm]
Use monist in a Sentence
–noun
1. Philosophy.
a. (in metaphysics) any of various theories holding that there is only one basic substance or principle as the ground of reality, or that reality consists of a single element. Compare dualism (def. 2), pluralism (def. 1a).
b. (in epistemology) a theory that the object and datum of cognition are identical. Compare pluralism (def. 1b).
2. the reduction of all processes, structures, concepts, etc., to a single governing principle; the theoretical explanation of everything in terms of one principle.
3. the conception that there is one causal factor in history; the notion of a single element as primary determinant of behavior, social action, or institutional relations.
Origin:
1860–65; < G Monismus. See mon-, -ism

Related forms:
monist, noun
mo⋅nis⋅tic  [muh-nis-tik, moh-] , mo⋅nis⋅ti⋅cal, adjective
mo⋅nis⋅ti⋅cal⋅ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To monist
mo·nism   (mō'nĭz'əm, mŏn'ĭz'əm)   
n.   Philosophy

  1. The view in metaphysics that reality is a unified whole and that all existing things can be ascribed to or described by a single concept or system.

  2. The doctrine that mind and matter are formed from, or reducible to, the same ultimate substance or principle of being.

mo'nist n., mo·nis'tic (mō-nĭs'tĭk, mŏ-) adj., mo·nis'ti·cal·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Cultural Dictionary

monism [(moh-niz-uhm, mon-iz-uhm)]

A position in metaphysics that sees only one kind of principle whereas dualism sees two. On the question of whether people's minds are distinct from their bodies, for example, a monist would hold either that mental conditions are essentially physical conditions (materialism), or that bodies depend on minds for their existence (idealism).

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

monism 
"the philosophical doctrine that there is only one principle," 1862, from Mod.L. monismus, from Gk. monos "alone." First used in Ger. by Ger. philosopher Baron Christian von Wolff (1679-1754).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Search another word or see monist on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way