Physicalism

:See also the old text of this article Physicalism/Larry's text.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Physicalism is the metaphysical position that everything is physical; that is, that there are no kinds of things other than physical things. Likewise, physicalism about the mental is a position in philosophy of mind which holds that the mind is a physical thing in some sense. This position is also called "materialism", but the term "physicalism" is preferable because it does not have any misleading connotations, and because it carries an emphasis on the physical, meaning whatever is described ultimately by physics -- that is, matter and energy.

Related Topics:
Metaphysical - Physical - Mental - Philosophy of mind - Materialism - Physics - Matter - Energy

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Because it claims that only physical things exist, physicalism is a form of monism. Physicalism about the mental contrasts with dualism, which claims that the physical and the mental are two different sorts of things and thus that the mind is non-physical, and exists in a different metaphysical category and realm.

Related Topics:
Monism - Dualism

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The opposite of physicalism is subjective idealism, such as the metaphysics proposed by George Berkeley, which holds that there is no physical reality at all. In this view, all that exists is mental or spiritual.

Related Topics:
Subjective idealism - Metaphysics - George Berkeley

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~