21.Are your materialist or idealist? Give your arguments.

These two terms are just like the two sides of the Ocean

which has no relationship with each other. One flows in their

own way than the others. People who have been debating

on idealism and materialism, often point out the flaws of

the materialistic philosophy. They suggest that since atoms

and particles do not have any consciousness, then

how come they can come

together to form

human consciousness

and

soul? So, I am a materialist and can explain why people have

different beleifs and ideas. Look up environmental

psychology, neuroplasticity, and epigenetics of neurons.

We don't have the exact same electrical signals going on

in our heads. The environment we grow up in shapes our

behavior, how we think, and literally our brains. Also look

up valence electrons, bonds, and how atoms come together

to form molecules.

In the debate between idealism and materialism, the ultimate

question is - mind over matter or matter over mind?

Materialism, a philosophy based on the idea that everything

around us is made up of matter or is totally dependent on

matter for survival, is in direct conflict with idealism, a

philosophy which proclaims that reality is actually

nothing but our ideas, our consciousness

and our mind. Let

us delve

into the

topic

further. Idealism or Materialism: Philosophy

According to the idealism philosophy, coined by Plato,

reality is nothing but what our mind tells us it is. In order

to understand the society or the world around us, our

consciousness or the spiritual forces are the most essential

factors. Whatever we think is the reality,

is actually what our

mind has made

us believe

it is. According to the materialism philosophy, the reality is what

we see or observe in the material things around us. In order

to understand the world around us, materialism philosophy

propounds that we need to study and look at the

environmental, physical, economical and historical factors.

According to materialists, human consciousness does not exist.

Our brain is just flesh in which lots of electrical activity takes

place and it is due to these electrical impulses that we are able to

understand ourselves and everything else.

Materialism philosophy emphasizes the importance of worldly

possessions and physical beauty, proclaiming that they are the

most important things in life. A materialistic person is the one

who seeks wealth, is superficial, selfish and status conscious,

wants to look good all the time, is manipulative, works for his

own benefit and always wants things to go his way. On the

other hand an idealist is one who always strives for perfection.

He believes that everything and everyone should be "ideal"

i.e. perfect and flawless. Idealists are basically non conformists

and futurists who want to change the accepted order of

things for a more perfect one in the future. Idealists seek

intellectual and moral development, rather than gaining material

wealth. Materialists want everything now and look for

instant gratification while idealists

strive to work

towards a

perfect

future. Difference in Views

According to the philosopher Lucretius, matter, which is made

up of atoms, and the empty space, is what the whole universe

is made up of. Due the empty space, atoms move about

freely in the universe and when atoms collide with each other

and come together, they form matter i.e. material objects.

Human beings just like the non living things such as table,

chair, etc, are made up of atoms. When humans die or when

these non living things are discarded or burnt in fire, the

atoms do not get destroyed. They come back into the empty

space and again collide and come together to form living

things which can think, speak, taste, etc, as well as non

living things. Thus, it is the atoms, the

matter which forms humans,

their consciousness,

soul, mind,

and

thoughts. As materialism suggests that consciousness and ideas do

not exist or even if they do, they are nothing but atoms, then

why do different people have different ways of looking at things?

A glass half filled with water, may seem half empty to some and

half full to others. This shows that perceptions of reality differ

from person to person, although we have the same electrical

activities going on inside our brains are made up of the same

atoms. It is these psychological processes such as our desires,

beliefs, intentions, thoughts, feelings and sensory perceptions,

that distinguish one person from another. This phenomenon has

still not been satisfactorily explained by scientists or proponents

of materialism.

If we look at modern science, it is very closely associated with

the philosophy of materialism. Most scientists can be

considered materialists by profession as they only study

about or deal with material things, but personally they

may have different beliefs and some of them may actually

believe in things like human consciousness, perception,

thoughts and other psychological processes.