ABSTRACT
Neutral monism is supposed to be as scientifically bona fide as materialism and as epistemologically progressive as idealism, all without backsliding into the Cartesianism derided on all sides. The neutral monist posits a kind of primitive presence of a not intrinsically physical and not intrinsically mental reality. Both the physical and mental realms are in some way constructs of the neutral. It is surprising that several modern philosophical views resonate with neutral monism. The problem of physicalism and its treatment of consciousness are transformed by the neutral monist viewpoint. The problem of consciousness becomes the problem of understanding primitive presence. The generation problem is thus seen as stemming from a false premise. The point is that the world as described by basic physics is one whose reality should be pattern based no less than the world of intentional mental states or computational design. Ontological liberality based upon explanatory usefulness and mind dependent patterns can lead to awkward situations.
