Philosophy 101: Materialism

In common usage, materialism describes the attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors of those who place an above average concern or priority on material goods (usually luxurious, cutting edge, or conspicuous) over other values. However, in philosophy, the term "materialism" refers to a school of thought in opposition to idealism, vitalism, dualism, and other metaphysical spheres of thought that posits a multi-lateral existence throughout the universe. Philosophical materialism is in some ways related to the aforementioned common-use terminology in that it places an emphasis on the physical realm. However, rather than attempting to describe an individual's value judgments, it focuses on the concept that there is only one basic substance that makes up the entire universe - physical matter.

Unlike the philosophies of most religions or those which subscribe to some view of a paradoxical link between the spiritual and the physical world; materialism posits that only that which can be observed and experienced empirically in the physical realm can be said to exist. Adopting a materialist conception of the world has drastic consequences for other areas of one's view on life, including morality, religion, epistemology, aesthetics, and so forth. It should be noted that holding a materialistic view of the world (in terms of philosophy) does not mean that an individual is materialistic in the sense that they value material commodities or goods over other components of their life.

Materialism denies the existence of the supernatural and spiritual world. It also denies the existence of a priori concepts that can take the form of an objective universal form (like Plato) or archetypes (like those described by Carl Jung) that defy the standards of objective science that are both observable and falsifiable through the scientific method. When confronted by challenges of the paranormal, supernatural, or spiritual kind, materialists often believe that such instances of extreme experiences can be reduced to delusions or a physical explanation. For instance, a materialist would address a claim of an encounter of a ghost inside a "haunted" house as more than likely either a falsified tale told by the alleged observer (hoax); a hallucination or delusion caused by either psychological abnormality or use of chemical substance; a misunderstanding of perception for which a perfectly reasonable explanation could be offered. Materialism in some ways may be reductionist; however, it does not necessarily attempt to vulgarly explain everything in terms of known factors. It is crucial to acknowledge the limitations of our own understanding of the world around us, and even to accept the fact that even we know very little about the physical world around us. Thus, materialism often times is accompanied by a healthy dose of skepticism. This scientific skepticism is often utilized in a way that slightly differs from traditional philosophical skepticism in that it doesn't necessarily question or raise doubts about our ability to have knowledge. Rather, that belief or faith in something should be weighed accordingly to the empirical evidence justifying any given claim.

Mechanical materialism can vary in its degree to which it tries to explain certain phenomena as mere alterations in the chemistry of physical matter. Its best to view materialism as occupying a spectrum between radical mechanical materialism to mitigated materialism. The highly mechanistic form of materialism takes a boldly objective stance and may seem excruciatingly reductionist in its approach to difficult questions regarding human behavior and experience. From this view, almost anything can be reduced to chemical reactions between physical matter to explain complex experiences such as human emotion, the mind/body, and the existential questions of humanity. Other, more "softer" forms of materialism do not necessarily try to reduce everything to mere chemical reactions on the most basic organic level of matter; rather, they simply posit a skeptical attitude towards that which cannot be observed or empirically known.