Haoying Liu

Russellian monism: ignorance and prospects

Asian Journal of Philosophy June 1, 2026 Haoying Liu

Russellian monism, a theory that tries to solve the mind-body problem by positing that physical entities have intrinsic natures (quiddities) that ground consciousness, faces a deep epistemological problem: its core elements are unknowable. This dual ignorance—of quiddity and the factors explaining macro-level consciousness—undermines the theory's explanatory power and cognitive fruitfulness. The paper compares this limitation to Thomistic hylomorphism, a metaphysical system that declined partly due to its own lack of cognitive fruitfulness. Unless Russellian monism overcomes its epistemic deficit, it risks remaining a speculative framework with little prospect for advancing understanding of consciousness or the natural world.