Overview
Define materialism.
Defines reality as only consisting of matter - no supernatural/mind/god/ superior being
Who are some of the first materialist philosophers?
Thales, Leucippus and Democritus
Give an example of a materialist philosopher.
Democritus, Hobbs, Karl Marx, Thales, Heraclitus, Michel Foucault etc.
What is interactionism?
the belief that mind and body are separate entities that can impact each other
What are two types of physicalism?
reductive and non-reductive
What is a synonym for “materialism”?
physicalism or naturalism
What did Democritus describe reality as?
He stated that reality consisted solely on atoms.
Who said this “you cannot step in the same river twice”?
Heraclitus
What is determinism?
the belief that all actions are predetermined and there is no free will
What is epiphenomenalism?
the belief that the body can affect the mind, but the mind cannot affect the body
What is one type of materialism?
epiphenomenalism, mechanical materialism, physicalist materialism
How did Heraclitus die?
He always spoke in riddles and when he became sick, he told doctors about it in the form of a riddle. They were confused and were unable to help him so he unfortunately died.
What element did Heraclitus believe the world was made of?
Fire
What is qualia?
subjective human experience
State a quote said from a materialist philosopher.
answers may vary - anything said from Democritus, Karl Marx, Thales, Heraclitus, Michel Foucault etc.
Would materialism be considered monism or dualism and why?
monism because materialism states that reality ONLY consists of one substance which is known as matter
When were ancient Indian philosophy and materialism developed?
600 BCE
What was the name of the book that Karl Marx wrote?
The Communist Manifesto
What is the difference and similarity between idealism and materialism?
They are both forms of monism, however, idealism believes that reality is constructed through the mind/spirit and materialism believes that reality is constructed through matter
How is determinism used as an argument against materialism?
If all of reality is material, then all of our actions are predetermined which means that there is no free will.
What is the mind-body problem and how does epiphenomenalism try to explain it?
the mind-body problem questions the relationship between the mind and the body AND epiphenomenalism states that mental processes (the mind) are created through the brain (body affects mind BUT mind does not affect body)
Who created mechanist philosophy?
Democritus and Epicurus
How did Heraclitus explain the notion of change?
Through logos (everything is related through certain characteristics)
What does it mean for an illness to be psychosomatic?
a physical symptom/illness/disease is led on by a mental state such as stress- ex: heart beats fast when you FEEL stressed
What is an argument against materialism? Explain.
Determinism, Consciousness, Morality, Interactionism