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1.2.5 Realism and MaterialismVersion 1.0 September 2016 (Previous Version) Philosophical realism is the belief that some things exist independently of ourselves and what we do or how we think about them. Realists often claim there is a link between our perceptions and what reality is like. Though our understanding may only be an approximation of reality it may improve over time. Materialists hold that matter is the fundamental substance in nature, and that all phenomena, including mental phenomena and consciousness, are identical with material interactions. In our view this idea of “matter” includes the fundamental forces that act on this matter, or as scientists say, mass/energy. The positions we reach in earlier sections of this Chapter lead us to accept realism and materialism. ● In section 1.2.1 we reach the conclusion that we shall believe in something independent of our minds, that there is both “me” and “not-me”, and that our perceptions have some link to reality. ● In section 1.2.2 we conclude that belief in an external reality is a reasonable working hypothesis, and is the basis for any conversation with another person. ● In section 1.2.3 we admit that our perceptions are limited by our evolutionary driven senses, and they can be altered simply by taking drugs or by certain exercises. So how can they be reliable? ● In section 1.2.4 we accept that we may never know the underlying nature of the universe, so we can't make sound conclusions based on its (unknown) nature, and anticipating later sections we tentatively suggest that there is no need to believe in the supernatural. Realism contrasts to the views of some sceptics and post modernists, who think that there is no real external reality that we can discuss with any certainty, because we interpret everything we experience through ideas learned, perhaps unconsciously, from our religion, culture, language and so on. Materialism contrasts with those, such as idealists and dualists, who believe that values, minds and consciousness must involve something immaterial or supernatural, which is somehow above or behind the natural universe or transcends normal reality. We discuss such alternatives in section 1.2.7. Realism and materialism are consistent with many people’s common sense and modern science. ● Some religious people are so immersed in their culture that their common sense sees the impact of supernatural forces in many aspects of daily life, particularly in compassionate behaviour. We suggest this view is social constructed. Alternative perspectives have more explanatory power. ● Here we’ll skip over the idea that abstract or mathematical ideas such as numbers have a kind of separate existence, and that mathematicians discover these ideas rather than invent them. Progress in science continues to strengthen the case for materialism. It is becoming more apparent that it is unreasonable to believe in a separate mental world of ideas, as idealists and dualists do. We suggest the following summary: 1.2.5 Materialism provides the most useful way of looking at the whole universe. As science learns more about how our minds work, it is increasingly difficult to believe that mind or mental events are independent of the physical universe. We can investigate ‘spiritual experiences’ using scientific methods and still obtain value from the experience. Materialism also enables us to investigate the universe and find reasonable values, meaning and purpose that we can't otherwise find. more (later)
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