Critique of Reductionist Reason: A Roadmap Beyond Scientism and Toward Integrative Realism
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) May 18, 2026 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.20275794 (opens in new tab) via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractContemporary reductionist scientism fails to account for consciousness. Starting from the explanatory gap in materialism, alternative models of the mind-brain relationship are examined: the filter model, panpsychism, and predictive processing. An expanded contemplative epistemology is developed by bridging Western religious epistemology (Alston, Plantinga) with contemporary Islamic philosophy (Nasr, Al-Jabri, Taha Abdurrahman) to analyze the cognitive legitimacy of insight (baṣīra). A new framework called Integrative Realism is reconstructed from the principle of irreducible ontological pluralism. The paper confronts objections including epistemic relativism and the problem of suffering, serving as a prospectus for multidisciplinary research in philosophy, neuroscience, and theology.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Scientism Reductionism Relativism Materialism Philosophy of science |
| Key finding | Argues that a framework called 'Integrative Realism,' based on irreducible ontological pluralism, can overcome the limitations of reductionist scientism and provide a legitimate epistemology for contemplative insight. |
Abstract
This paper offers a rigorous philosophical roadmap that challenges the hegemony of contemporary reductionist scientism and explores new pathways toward an integrative view of reality. Taking the "hard problem of consciousness" and its explanatory gap as a starting point, the author deconstructs the ontological claims of materialism and maps out alternative models of the mind-brain relationship, including the filter model, panpsychism, and predictive processing. Moving beyond critique, the paper develops an expanded, contemplative epistemology by bridging contemporary Western religious epistemology (Alston, Plantinga) with contemporary Islamic philosophy (Nasr, Al-Jabri, Taha Abdurrahman) to analyze the cognitive legitimacy of "insight" (baṣīra). Ultimately, the paper reconstructs a new critical-exploratory framework termed "Integrative Realism," derived from a single unifying principle: irreducible ontological pluralism. Armed with rigorous self-criticism and a dedicated section confronting counter-objections (such as epistemic relativism and the problem of suffering), this paper serves as an open prospectus for a multi-disciplinary research program in philosophy, neuroscience, and theology.