mentalism

[ men-tl-iz-uhm ]

noun

1. the doctrine that objects of knowledge have no existence except in the mind of the perceiver.
2. the doctrine that human conduct reflects the operation of a nonmaterial principle.
3. any psychological theory that accepts as a proper subject of study the mental basis for human behavior.

mentalism

/ ˈmɛntəˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. philosophy the doctrine that mind is the fundamental reality and that objects of knowledge exist only as aspects of the subject's consciousness Compare physicalism idealism See also monism materialism

Derived Forms

• ˌmentalˈistically, adverb
• ˌmentalˈistic, adjective
• ˈmentalist, noun

Other Words From

• mental·istic adjective
• mental·isti·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of mentalism¹

First recorded in 1870–75; mental ¹ + -ism

Example Sentences

This brain-machine mentalism works by asking people to have a specific thought or cognitive experience over and over while inside an fMRI machine.

From Quanta Magazine

There is but a slender difference between barbarity and senti-mentalism.

From Project Gutenberg