monista

Monista is the term used in several Romance languages to denote a supporter of monism, the metaphysical view that reality reduces to a single kind of substance or principle. In English, the corresponding term is monist. A monista, or monist, holds that apparent diversity stems from manifestations or aspects of a single underlying reality, rather than from two or more fundamental substances.

Types of monism include substance monism, which claims there is only one fundamental kind of substance. Materialism or physicalism is a common form, arguing that all phenomena are ultimately physical. Idealism denies an independent material substance, positing that reality consists of minds or ideas. Neutral monism posits a single, neutral substrate from which both mental and physical properties emerge; philosophers associated with this view include some 20th-century analytic thinkers.

Historical development features notable figures across cultures. Baruch Spinoza is a canonical substance monist in the Western tradition, identifying God or Nature as a single infinite substance. In Indian philosophy, Advaita Vedanta teaches non-dualism, a form of monism that identifies the individual self with the universal reality Brahman. In the 20th century, neutral monism and variations of physicalism influenced analytic philosophy, with scholars such as Bertrand Russell associated with neutral monism at some points in his work.

Critiques of monism address questions about mental causation, consciousness, and the apparent plurality of experiences. Critics argue that multiple kinds of substance or principle may better account for the diversity of phenomena. Proponents continue to refine monist frameworks to explain how a single underlying reality can give rise to the rich structure of the world.