Questions tagged [materialism]
Materialism is a form of philosophical monism which holds the fundamental basis of reality is matter and all mental states are caused by states of this material world.
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Can physicalists with a straight face say that the challenges they've got in their personal life are all random and not carefully calibrated? [closed]
I understand that the inclination to analyze your life and key events that brought you where you are, is not universal, but to some degree, most people do look back in order to see logical reasons ...
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The indeterminacy of computation
This is my second attempt at understanding the argument put forward by James Ross against computationalism. But even years later, I still can't wrap my head around it.
The argument builds on Samuel ...
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How do idealism and solipsism explain distinct components of experience?
In our experience, we maintain distinctions between things. There are parts of experience that can be divided or abstracted away into components, whether you are a physicalist or an idealist or a ...
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Do solipsism and the theory that the external world is real have equal explanatory value?
Given a recent question just asked in regards to whether or not Occam's razor supports solipsism, I thought it would be prudent to ask whether the explanatory value of both theories (solipsism vs. the ...
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Does the dominant science paradigm imply that we are robots? [duplicate]
If everything is composed of atoms and atoms make up molecules, which make up the brain, which (through interactions with other inanimate objects) cause all of your brain activity, then it would seem ...
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Infinite Regression of Matter
I have had some thoughts around the nature of matter and fundamental particles and it goes as such. The consequences of my line of reasoning I feel would be significant if correct. Help me understand ...
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Was Nietzsche an amoralist?
Was Friedrich Nietzsche against morality, or at least in favor of not giving it importance? For example, what would Nietzsche think of someone who qualifies for what he considers the Ubermensch or ‘...
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Type of mapping between subjective experience and the physical configuration?
It seems undeniable to me if I specify the physical configuration (of the brain), then there is a mapping to our subjective experience. Are there any clever arguments on the kind of mapping there is ...
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Was Fedorov's cosmism a "materialized Hegelianism"?
In the introduction to Boris Groy’s excellent book Russian Cosmism, which is a compilation of writings from within the Russian cosmist movement, he says the following:
In a sense, Fedorov developed ...
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What are reasonable counter objections to the argument that materialism is incoherent because it conceptually separates Being and Mentality?
Appreciate the time. This is my first post.
I have looked at various resources and I've found that there's an aspect inherent to materialism/physicalism that gets overlooked and that I find central. ...
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Are there several types of mind-independence?
Mind-independence relates to the famous falling tree nobody sees or hears, but which may still make a sound. We claim that the process is independent of our consciousness, and that therefore the ...
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Do meanings of statements exist?
It was suggested to me in another thread that materialism is self defeating. But when I looked at the reason for that statement I found confusion in the argument.
(4) MATERIALISM
[Definition] The ...
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Understanding Dennett's Philosophy of Mind
Daniel Dennett was a reductionist; he argued that the mind is entirely physical and can be reduced to the physical world. In one his lectures, he spoke about the colors on the American flag and ...
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Illusionism in the philosophy of mind
Illusionism is a branch of materialism which argues that phenomenal properties of consciousness aren't ontologically subjective. Illusion is that we tend to think it is, hence the name. Ontologically, ...
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Ethics of the unborn/non-sentient - Conflicting ideas
I hold two positions that I find to be conflicting with each other, and I wanted to see where I am going wrong.
The first position is that moral weight is predicated on sentience, something lacking ...
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Is materialism essential to scientific progress?
A common argument against any hint of non materialism in science, be it idealism, supernaturalism, substance dualism, etc. is that complete materialism is essential for making scientific progress. I ...
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Is atheism religion with all attributes? [closed]
To people who are believers, that science proved that God doesn’t exists, I want to remind that science tell that consciousness doesn’t exist too, however obviously consciousness exists.
I guess ...
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Why we haven’t observed any galactic civilization of III or IV type? [closed]
This question is scoped to natural philosophy.
The study of natural philosophy seeks to explore the cosmos by any means necessary to understand the universe
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
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Is having infinite amount of a quantity same as having none of it? [closed]
Ithink that if you have an infinite amount of material, you actually have none of it. I interpret this as you having imaginary material.
Am I correct in making this assessment?
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Interpreting this paragraph from Schopenhauer
I've read some posts here citing this very interesting paragraph (extract pasted below) from Schopenhauer, a refutation of materialism as ultimate explanation of reality:
Of all systems of philosophy ...
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Is consciousness fundamental to the universe?
In January 2023, Entropy published a paper entitled "Fusions of Consciousness" by Hoffman, Prakash and Prentner. They propose that consciousness is fundamental to the universe, rather than ...
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Who am I? Mind, body, mind and body or something else?
The mind with it's thoughts, emotions, memories, perceptions, and various mental processes. Including the conscious and unconscious aspects of mental activity, shaping one's identity and influencing ...
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How in a purely physical universe would a perfect recreation of a human not necessarily imply a "transfer" of its conciousness? [closed]
I've been kicking around this idea for a while and I have attempted to propose it in different forums yet the idea is treated as illogical but I cannot find/understand why it would be so impossible.
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Are the interests of every bourgeois person (not just the class in general) against the working class?
Are the interests of every bourgeois person (not just the class in general) always against those of the working class? I'm just intrigued whether a socialist bourgeois is necessary acting against ...
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Is liberal economics theory materialist?
I know only about a few liberal economists who directly adhered to philosophical materialism, while not all were vocal about it (Locke, Adam Smith, Voltaire, David Friedman*). I am not completely sure ...
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Does utilitarianism imply materialism?
Does utilitarianism imply materialism?
Utilitarianism has for one component epicurianism, which is a materialist philosophy, and also consequentialism which cares about real life consequences of ...
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How shall I understand these two "oppositions": pragmatism against idealism, positivism against irrationalism?
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Western-philosophy/The-19th-century says
As for the 19th century, however, if one single feature of its thought could be singled out for emphasis, it might be called ...
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How exactly does representational theory of mind help resolve the materialist problem of a qualia without physical origin?
I was reading this stanford entry and I can't understand how representationalism helps overcome the problem of a sensory quality without external origin that otherwise undermines belief in materialism....
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How did Nietzsche prove his will to power?
Was Nietzsche right about the will to power? Specifically, did he (or any of his interpreters) prove (let's take Kant's system as a cut off for 'proof') that the will to power, either individually or ...
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Materialism can cover idealism but idealism cannot cover materialism?
It seems to me that materialism can cover idealism, but not the contrary.
A materialist can recognize that reality is in part made of ideas, simply by saying that ideas are made of a bunch of ...
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Am I a materialist?
I believe that there is nothing even close to non-trivial certainty in philosophy, at least outside of ethics and psychology. For this reason, I believe in monism at about 60%. Furthermore, I believe ...
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Seeking Help on Cartesian Dualism and the Mind-Body Relationship
I'm currently studying philosophy and I'm struggling with the concept of Cartesian dualism, particularly in relation to other theories about the mind-body relationship. I'm wondering if anyone here ...
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Is there a privileged link between materialism and natural sciences? [closed]
Is there a privileged link between materialism and natural sciences (e.g., biology, chemistry, and physics), which study the physical world?
(1) Extreme supposition: is it contradictory to do natural ...
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Arguments against idealism / arguments against materialism
Are there any counter-argument to these arguments against idealism on the one hand, materialism in the other?
(1) Argument against idealism.
What is the relationship between idealists and their bodies?...
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How to make the notion of materialism testable/falsifiable?
The whole idea behind the scientific method is that reality is material in nature, is there any way that we could test this notion? All attempts by the scientific method to prove or substantiate the ...
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Can empiricists and materialists accept metaphysical modality?
There are some propositions such as 1+1=2 that seem to be true in all possible worlds. That is, there is no possible world in which 1+1=2 is not true. Propositions like this that seem to be true in ...
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Scientific stance on 'life from non-life, naturally'?
As far as I'm aware, almost everyone (from Dawkins to Lennox to Hovind) agrees that at some point in the past there was no life in our universe, and currently there is. Therefore life somehow arose ...
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Is Egoism of Max Stirner idealization of Free consciousness?
In more simple language when Stirner talks about having no fix ideas or not treating ideas as sacred somehow makes it (Egoism of Stirner) having a fix idea itself ? Is creative nothing an idea or ...
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What are the justifications for holding concretes to be more important than abstractions?
What are the justifications for holding concretes to be more real or more important than abstractions like ideas and thoughts?
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Can a Materialist who belives 'You = Your Body' still follow Memory Theory?
From what I have been reading, materialists generally believe that, when it comes to personal identity, that You = Your Body.
Would it be contradicting for a materialist to agree with the tenets of ...
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Anthropocentrism, aboriginal stuff and materialism
"Thinking like a mountain : toward a council of all beings" book is an introduction to deep ecology by Joanna Macy, John Seed, Pat Flemming and Arne Naess. "Beyond anthropocentrism"...
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Mechanistic fallibility
I've often seen fallibilism discussed with reference to the Münchhausen trilemma and the problem of scientific induction. There is a simpler and more encompassing model of fallibilism that I might ...
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Name for a form of naturalism that allows for abstract objects
Some of the more pressing arguments against materialism involve their inability to account for abstract objects such as meaning or reference. A few definitions before I continue:
Abstract object: an ...
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How can materialists make claims?
I dont have all the modern philosophical terms down, but I cannot see how materialists/physicalists can make any claims. If there is nothing but physical universe, then there is no “truth”. Actually ...
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Understanding Marx's "Theses on Feuerbach" and "Materialism"
Materialism, in the common parlance, is about our material circumstances and our material interests. It's cast against an idealism that thinks the world is simply ideas, shaped by thought- but isn't ...
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Is there a materialist explanation for the type-token distinction?
Is there a materialist theory in philosophy that goes beyond giving a dictionary definition of the type/token distinction and attempts to explain what types and tokens really are in material terms, e....
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How does a determinist explain darwin and chess? [closed]
I think the consensus among most materialists is that "living beings" have a common ancestor. I say "living beings" in quotes because I don't even know what it means that something ...
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If all we see is the sensible world, what are the proofs to affirm that matter exists?
I am new to philosophy and I have been looking for a way to find answers to my disturbing doubt for a long time, I was reading Berkeley but I did not find a convincing refutation, especially because ...
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Why is the statement about "Freewill is an illusion" considered profound? [closed]
So my understanding of the "freewill is an illusion" argument is if I know everything about a system since the laws of physics are deterministic the final solution is unique. Anyone who ...
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