Definitions by Abzu Land
Neurorealism
The idea that our nervous system (brain, neurons, synapses) determines how we perceive and see reality. It is the neuro‑centered version of Cognitive Realism. Its weak version (Neurorelativism) holds that different nervous systems produce different, equally valid realities. Its strong version (Neurodeterminism) asserts that neural structure absolutely and inevitably constrains all possible experience. Neurorealism is criticized for ignoring the role of the body (embodiment), environment (extended cognition), and culture (situated cognition). It also tends to reduce the person to the brain, overlooking social and psychological dimensions.
Example: “Neurorealism reminds us that a bloodhound lives in a world of smells we cannot access – its neural reality is different. But can we train our own sense of smell? Skepticism questions.”
Neurorealism by Abzu Land May 27, 2026
Cognitive Relativism
The weak version of Cognitive Realism. It holds that different cognitive systems (human, animal, artificial, or between human cultures) generate different “realities” or modes of knowing, and none can be considered objectively superior. What is true for one system may not be for another. It is a form of epistemological relativism focused on cognitive apparatus, not merely beliefs. Cognitive Relativism is attractive for respecting neurodiversity, animal minds, and artificial intelligences, but critics point to the risk of incoherence: if everything is relative, then the statement “everything is relative” is itself relative. It also struggles to explain cross‑cognitive communication and consensus.
Example: “Cognitive relativism claims that a tetrachromatic bird’s color perception is not more ‘true’ than a human’s—merely different. But if everything is relative, why trust the neuroscience that discovered this?”
Cognitive Determinism
The strong version of Cognitive Realism. It asserts that our cognitive structures necessarily and invariantly determine how we perceive and think about reality. There is no choice, no possibility of accessing alternative perspectives—cognition is a straitjacket. It has strong implications for free will, rationality, and objective knowledge. Cognitive Determinism is often associated with evolutionary psychology arguments that our brains are hardwired for certain cognitive biases that cannot be overcome. Many cognitive scientists reject this as excessively rigid, pointing to neuroplasticity, learning, and cultural variation.
Example: “Cognitive determinism would say a human can never conceive of the fourth spatial dimension because their brain evolved for 3D. A mathematician disagrees: ‘I can calculate it – algebra overcomes cognitive determinism.’”
Cognitive Determinism
The strong version of Cognitive Realism. It asserts that our cognitive structures necessarily and invariantly determine how we perceive and think about reality. There is no choice, no possibility of accessing alternative perspectives—cognition is a straitjacket. It has strong implications for free will, rationality, and objective knowledge. Cognitive Determinism is often associated with evolutionary psychology arguments that our brains are hardwired for certain cognitive biases that cannot be overcome. Many cognitive scientists reject this as excessively rigid, pointing to neuroplasticity, learning, and cultural variation.
Example: “Cognitive determinism would say a human can never conceive of the fourth spatial dimension because their brain evolved for 3D. A mathematician disagrees: ‘I can calculate it – algebra overcomes cognitive determinism.’”
Cognitive Relativism by Abzu Land May 27, 2026
Cognitive Realism
An epistemological position according to which our cognitive systems—perception, memory, reasoning—determine how we perceive and access reality. There is no direct access to the world‑in‑itself; only to reality filtered through our cognitive faculties. Its weak version (Cognitive Relativism) holds that different cognitions produce different, equally valid perspectives. Its strong version (Cognitive Determinism) asserts that cognition not only filters but absolutely constrains what we can know. Cognitive Realism is a middle ground between naive realism (reality is directly available) and radical constructivism (reality is invented). It acknowledges that our cognitive apparatus shapes experience, but does not necessarily trap us in solipsism. It is widely accepted in cognitive science, though the degree of constraint remains debated.
Example: “Cognitive realism reminds us that a bat and a human live in different realities—not because one is wrong, but because their cognitive systems are distinct. The question is: how flexible is this filter?”
Cognitive Realism by Abzu Land May 27, 2026
Neuropsychorelativism
The weak version of Neuropsychorealism. It holds that different neuropsychological configurations (across species, individuals, pathological or altered states) produce distinct subjective realities, and none has epistemic priority. It is a double relativism: biological and mental. Used in contexts of neurodiversity (autism, ADHD) and non‑ordinary states of consciousness (meditation, psychedelics). Critics argue that excessive relativism undermines any diagnosis or functional comparison. It can lead to the absurd conclusion that all neuropsychological configurations are equally adaptive.
Example: “Neuropsychorelativism claims that the time experience of an ADHD person (accelerated, fragmented) is not more ‘wrong’ than that of a neurotypical – they are just different. A teacher asks: ‘So can I give him less time on the test?’”
Neuropsychodeterminism
The strong version of Neuropsychorealism. It asserts that the integrated structure of the nervous system and the mind (as a single system) necessarily and invariantly determines all perception, emotion, and thought. There is no escape: your biology and your psychology are a double straitjacket. It is a radically eliminativist position that denies any possibility of transcendence or deep structural change. Criticised for ignoring neuroplasticity, therapy, learning, and social contexts that transform both brain and mind. It is empirically false because brains and minds change over time.
Example: “A neuropsychodeterminist declared: ‘Your depression is your biology and your history. You cannot escape.’ The patient replied: ‘But therapy has already changed me before. Your determinism is denying my experience.’ The neuropsychodeterminism collapsed in clinical contradiction.”
Neuropsychodeterminism
The strong version of Neuropsychorealism. It asserts that the integrated structure of the nervous system and the mind (as a single system) necessarily and invariantly determines all perception, emotion, and thought. There is no escape: your biology and your psychology are a double straitjacket. It is a radically eliminativist position that denies any possibility of transcendence or deep structural change. Criticised for ignoring neuroplasticity, therapy, learning, and social contexts that transform both brain and mind. It is empirically false because brains and minds change over time.
Example: “A neuropsychodeterminist declared: ‘Your depression is your biology and your history. You cannot escape.’ The patient replied: ‘But therapy has already changed me before. Your determinism is denying my experience.’ The neuropsychodeterminism collapsed in clinical contradiction.”
Neuropsychorelativism by Abzu Land May 27, 2026
Neuropsychorealism
An integrative position that combines neurorealism and psychorealism: both the nervous system and the mind (in their interaction) determine how we perceive and see reality. It is an attempt to overcome the brain‑mind dualism, treating both levels as co‑determinants. Weak version (Neuropsychorelativism): different neuropsychological configurations generate different, equally valid realities. Strong version (Neuropsychodeterminism): the brain‑mind set absolutely determines all possible experience. It acknowledges that brain states and psychological states are two sides of the same coin, but the direction of explanation remains contested.
Example: “Neuropsychorealism reminds us that a lesion in the orbitofrontal cortex changes not only the brain but also personality and moral perception – all together. The question is: is this change relative (different but valid) or determining (inevitable and unique)?”
Neuropsychorealism by Abzu Land May 27, 2026
Psychorelativism
The weak version of Psychorealism. It holds that different minds (individuals, cultures, psychiatric conditions) produce different subjective realities, and none can be considered objectively superior. It is a psychological relativism: truth is relative to mental state. It is often invoked to defend the legitimacy of non‑ordinary experiences (shamanism, non‑pathologised psychosis). Critics point out the risk of therapeutic incoherence (if everything is relative, why treat any suffering?). It can lead to a paralyzing pluralism where no judgment about mental health is possible.
Example: “Psychorelativism claims that the voice a schizophrenic hears is as real to him as your cough is to you. But a psychiatrist asks: ‘If he asks not to take medication, should we respect that reality?’”
Psychodeterminism
The strong version of Psychorealism. It asserts that the structure of the mind (whether unconscious, traumatic, or archetypal) necessarily and invariantly determines all perception, thought, and behaviour. There is no free will, nor any possibility of escaping the mental categories inherited from biography or species. It is a common position in radical readings of psychoanalysis (everything is drive determinism) or radical behaviourism (everything is internalised environmental determinism). Psychodeterminism collapses under its own rhetoric because the determinist’s own argument would also be a mere symptom.
Example: “A psychodeterminist said: ‘You don’t love your partner – you’re repeating childhood attachment patterns.’ The partner replied: ‘If so, your argument is also a symptom. Then why should I take it seriously?’ The determinism dissolved in its own rhetoric.”
Psychodeterminism
The strong version of Psychorealism. It asserts that the structure of the mind (whether unconscious, traumatic, or archetypal) necessarily and invariantly determines all perception, thought, and behaviour. There is no free will, nor any possibility of escaping the mental categories inherited from biography or species. It is a common position in radical readings of psychoanalysis (everything is drive determinism) or radical behaviourism (everything is internalised environmental determinism). Psychodeterminism collapses under its own rhetoric because the determinist’s own argument would also be a mere symptom.
Example: “A psychodeterminist said: ‘You don’t love your partner – you’re repeating childhood attachment patterns.’ The partner replied: ‘If so, your argument is also a symptom. Then why should I take it seriously?’ The determinism dissolved in its own rhetoric.”
Psychorelativism by Abzu Land May 27, 2026
Psychorealism
An epistemological position according to which the mind (in a broad sense: cognition, affects, intentionality) determines how we perceive and access reality. It differs from cognitive realism by including not only cognitive processes but also emotions, desires, and unconscious structures. Weak version (Psychorelativism): different minds generate different, equally valid realities. Strong version (Psychodeterminism): the mind absolutely constrains what we can know. It is a common position in certain strands of depth psychology and phenomenology. Psychorealism highlights that psychological states are not merely filters but constitutive of the world as experienced.
Example: “Psychorealism reminds us that a depressed person and a manic person live in the same world but in opposite psychological realities. The central question: is this difference relative (weak) or determining (strong)?”
Psychorealism by Abzu Land May 27, 2026