Monisms

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A philosophical doctrine asserting that only one fundamental substance or principle constitutes reality
2. The belief that all of existence can be understood as a unified whole rather than through a dualistic lens
3. A view that rejects dualism in favor of a singular origin or essence in the study of existence and consciousness

Etymology: "Monisms" is simply the plural of "monism," so it names several distinct systems of this kind rather than one doctrine. The singular goes back to a German philosopher, Baron Christian von Wolff, who coined it in New Latin as "monismus." Its root is the Ancient Greek "mónos," meaning "alone" or "single," which gives the idea of reality as one thing at bottom. The word reached English in 1862, and its build is transparent: the prefix "mon-" from Greek "mónos" plus the suffix "-ism," a common way of naming a doctrine or system. The contrast it implies is with dualism, the view that mind and matter, or spirit and body, are two fundamentally different kinds of stuff.