Nonreductief

Nonreductief (or non‑reductive) is a term used primarily in philosophy of mind, biology, and the social sciences to describe theoretical positions that reject explanations which reduce complex phenomena to simpler, lower‑level constituents. In the philosophy of mind, nonreductive physicalism maintains that mental states are wholly dependent on physical processes in the brain but cannot be fully explained in terms of neural activity alone; the mental retains a degree of autonomy and emergent properties that are not captured by purely physical descriptions. Similarly, nonreductive explanations in biology argue that the behavior of organisms cannot be entirely predicted from molecular or genetic data, emphasizing the importance of higher‑level structures such as tissues, organs, and ecological interactions. In the social sciences, nonreductive approaches oppose the reduction of social phenomena to individual psychology or economic variables, instead highlighting institutional, cultural, and historical dimensions.

The nonreductive stance often relies on the concept of emergence, where higher‑order properties arise from, but are not reducible to, lower‑order processes. Critics argue that nonreductive frameworks can become vague or lead to explanatory gaps, questioning whether they provide genuine scientific insight or merely preserve disciplinary boundaries. Proponents counter that acknowledging multiple levels of explanation better reflects the complexity of natural and social systems and avoids the reductionist pitfalls of oversimplification. Related concepts include supervenience, where higher‑level properties depend on lower‑level ones without being identical, and pluralism, the view that different scientific disciplines may use distinct but equally valid explanatory strategies. Nonreductive approaches continue to influence debates on consciousness, evolution, and the methodology of the social sciences.