40
Has there ever been a viable alternative to the phsycialist model of the universe? (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) by QueenHawlSera@sh.itjust.works to c/askscience@lemmy.world
144 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Physicalism or materialism. The idea that everything there is arises from physical matter. If true would mean there is no God or Free Will, no immortal soul either.

Seems to be what most of academia bases their world view on and the frame work in which most Science is done.

Often challenged by Dualism and Idealism but only by a loud fringe minority.

I've heard pan-psychicism is proving quite the challenge, but I hear that from people who believe crystals can cure autism

I hear that "Oh actually the science is moving away from materialism" as well, but that seems to be more crystal talk as well.

So lemme ask science instead of google.

Any reason to doubt physicalism? Is there anything in science that says "Huh well that seems to not have any basis in the physical at all and yet it exists"

Edit: I have heard of the Essentia Foundation and Bernado Kastrup but since it's endorsed by Deepak Chopra I'm not sure I can trust it

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] WatDabney@sopuli.xyz 1 points 4 days ago

Those are conceptual terms.

What is doubt's shape? Its size? Its mass? Of what elements is it composed?

If physicalism is true, then either those questions have answers or doubt does not exist.

[-] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

That's a misunderstanding of Physicalism, though. If it was the position that everything's tangible, very few people would hold it.

It's actually just the position that everything which exists (to the fullest degree of the word) does so within the material world in some way. Physical things can still have intangible attributes, and those attributes can have attributes.

[-] WatDabney@sopuli.xyz 1 points 4 days ago

Sorry, but no. Yours is the misunderstanding.

You're conflating physicalism and materialism.

[-] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Definitionally, physicalism is actually more inclusive than materialism, not less.

Physicalism is closely related to materialism, and has evolved from materialism with advancements in the physical sciences in explaining observed phenomena. The terms "physicalism" and "materialism" are often used interchangeably, but can be distinguished on the basis that physics describes more than just matter. Physicalism encompasses matter, but also energy, physical laws, space, time, spacetime, exotic matter, structure, physical processes, information, state, and forces, among other things, as described by physics and other sciences, all within a monistic framework.

In a modern context where everyone agrees light exists and is not a fermion I'm not sure it's worth even distinguishing the two, though.

[-] WatDabney@sopuli.xyz 1 points 4 days ago

A "physical property", in this context, may be a metaphysical or logical combination of properties which are not physical in the ordinary sense.

lol

I've been watching as ontology has gone sideways since the new generation of blinkered STEMites decided they were qualified to weigh in on it, but this goes even beyond what I cynically expected.

[-] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 4 days ago

I mean, I don't think Karl Popper would qualify as the new generation of anything.

this post was submitted on 05 Dec 2025
40 points (100.0% liked)

Ask Science

13852 readers
56 users here now

Ask a science question, get a science answer.

Community Rules

Rule 1: Be respectful and inclusive.Treat others with respect, and maintain a positive atmosphere.

Rule 2: No harassment, hate speech, bigotry, or trolling.Avoid any form of harassment, hate speech, bigotry, or offensive behavior.

Rule 3: Engage in constructive discussions.Contribute to meaningful and constructive discussions that enhance scientific understanding.

Rule 4: No AI-generated answers.Strictly prohibit the use of AI-generated answers. Providing answers generated by AI systems is not allowed and may result in a ban.

Rule 5: Follow guidelines and moderators' instructions.Adhere to community guidelines and comply with instructions given by moderators.

Rule 6: Use appropriate language and tone.Communicate using suitable language and maintain a professional and respectful tone.

Rule 7: Report violations.Report any violations of the community rules to the moderators for appropriate action.

Rule 8: Foster a continuous learning environment.Encourage a continuous learning environment where members can share knowledge and engage in scientific discussions.

Rule 9: Source required for answers.Provide credible sources for answers. Failure to include a source may result in the removal of the answer to ensure information reliability.

By adhering to these rules, we create a welcoming and informative environment where science-related questions receive accurate and credible answers. Thank you for your cooperation in making the Ask Science community a valuable resource for scientific knowledge.

We retain the discretion to modify the rules as we deem necessary.

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
sabbah@lemmy.world
AradFort@lemmy.world
ken_cleanairsystems@lemmy.sdf.org
count_of_monte_carlo@lemmy.world