"Materialism" Defined |
A Progressive Living Definition |
There are two meanings to the term "materialism." The first refers to a theory concerning the ultimate nature of the universe, and the second refers to a particular set of values. The Nature of the Universe Materialism in its reductionistic form is the view that in the end the only things that actually possess properties — and therefore the only things that are real — are the tiny, individual components that make up the physical universe. (These were initially thought to be atoms.) If true, this thesis would imply that phenomena such as consciousness, value, love and so forth aren't "real" because they aren't present in the individual components. An alternative form of materialism is emergentism. Emergentism is the view that, although all phenomena are grounded in physical reality, certain phenomena emerge in complex systems that have properties, and therefore a reality, of their own. Values A materialistic lifestyle is one that places ultimate value upon wealth and the things that it can buy. Under the influence of Western and especially American capitalism, materialism is emerging as the dominant value system of the 21st century. However, its spiritual emptiness and its disastrous consequences for the environment and society more generally are becoming increasingly conspicuous and may well eventually lead to its decisive rejection. |
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