Monism

High school (ages 12+)
Philosophy & Big Questions

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/monism

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the metaphysical claim?Reality is ultimately composed of a single, fundamental substance or principle
2. What is the contrast with other views?Opposes Dualism (two fundamental substances) and Pluralism (multiple fundamental substances)
3. How is monism different from dualism and pluralism?Dualism says there are two main kinds of things, like mind and matter, while pluralism says there are many kinds. Monism says there is only one kind that makes up everything.
4. Who were some early thinkers that talked about monism?Ancient Greek philosophers like Thales, Anaximenes, Heraclitus, and Parmenides all thought about one basic thing that creates the world.

Monism: The metaphysical doctrine that reality is ultimately a single, unified entity or substance.
Ontology: The branch of metaphysics dealing with the nature of being, existence, and reality.
Epistemology: The theory of knowledge, especially with regard to its methods, validity, and scope.