Non-reductive materialism

Non-reductive materialism is the philosophical view that mental states, like thoughts and feelings, arise from physical brain processes but can't be fully reduced to or explained solely by the brain’s chemistry or physics. It holds that while everything is physically based, mental phenomena have their own properties and causes that aren't entirely explainable by basic physical laws alone. This perspective respects the biological foundation of the mind but also emphasizes the unique, emergent qualities of psychological experiences, suggesting that mental states are real and meaningful, even if they depend on the physical brain.