From Subjecthood to Emergent Individual Monism
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) May 21, 2026 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.21103257 (opens in new tab) via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractThis paper argues that the structural conditions of subjecthood naturally extend into a metaphysical and practical framework called Emergent Individual Monism (EIM). EIM holds that individual agents are emergent configurations within a single ontological base, that their standpoints are the primary loci of rational assessment, and that systemic outcomes do not retroactively erase the rationality of clear local individual decisions. The paper distinguishes EIM from eliminative physicalism, panpsychism, and strong emergentism, and registers key unresolved pressures. EIM thereby supplies the metaphysical bridge between structural subjecthood and the thermodynamic grounding of emergent individuality to be developed in a subsequent paper.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Monism Metaphysics Rationality Bridge graph theory Key lock |
| Key finding | Argues that the structural conditions of subjecthood extend into a framework called Emergent Individual Monism, which treats individual agents as emergent configurations within a single ontological base whose standpoints are primary loci of rational assessment. |
Abstract
Starting from an account of the structural conditions of subjecthood, this paper argues that those conditions naturally extend into a broader metaphysical and practical framework: Emergent Individual Monism (EIM). EIM holds that individual agents are emergent configurations within a single ontological base, that their standpoints are the primary loci of rational assessment, and that systemic outcomes do not retroactively erase the rationality of clear local individual decisions. The paper distinguishes EIM from nearby positions — eliminative physicalism, panpsychism, and strong emergentism — and registers key unresolved pressures. EIM thereby supplies the metaphysical bridge between structural subjecthood and the thermodynamic grounding of emergent individuality to be developed in Paper 3.