occasionalism

American  

[uh-key-zhuh-nl-iz-uhm] / əˈkeɪ ʒə nlˌɪz əm /

noun

Philosophy.

1. a theory that there is no natural interaction between mind and matter, but that God makes mental events correspond to physical perceptions and actions.

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occasionalism British  

/ əˈkeɪʒənəˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. the post-Cartesian theory that the seeming interconnection of mind and matter is effected by God

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Other Word Forms

• occasionalist noun
• occasionalistic adjective

Etymology

Origin of occasionalism

First recorded in 1835–45; occasional + -ism

Example Sentences

You cannot be an occasionalist without being a voluntarist, and every voluntarist has taken at least the first step on the road to occasionalism.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Thus occasionalism forms the transition to the pantheism of Spinoza, Geulincx emphasizing the non-substantiality of spirits, and Malebranche the non-substantiality of bodies, while Spinoza combines and intensifies both.

From History of Modern Philosophy From Nicolas of Cusa to the Present Time by Falckenberg, Richard

But if occasionalism were true such inference would be illusory, and we should infer, with Berkeley, that only God and minds exist, but not any material universe.

From Ontology or the Theory of Being by Coffey, Peter

So excellent a man as Baxter was misled by this hypothesis, which evidently is as derogatory to God as occasionalism is fatal to the moral agency of man.

From Conversion of a High Priest into a Christian Worker by Golden, M. (Meletios)

Many, alarmed at the consequences which occasionalism would seem to involve, have embraced an opposite scheme.

From Conversion of a High Priest into a Christian Worker by Golden, M. (Meletios)