Physicalism

Physicalism is a philosophical position asserting that everything which exists is no more extensive than its physical properties; that is, that there are no kinds of things other than physical things. The term was coined by Otto Neurath in a series of early twentieth century essays on the philosophical implications of the new physics.

Overview

Physicalism is a form of ontological monism - a "one substance" view of the nature of reality as opposed to a "two-substance" (dualism) or "many-substance" (pluralism) view. Both the definition of "physical" and the meaning of physicalism have been debated.

Physicalism is closely related to materialism. Physicalism grew out of materialism with the success of the physical sciences in explaining observed phenomena. The physicalist view is often contrasted with dualism, idealism, and other theories of mind in the philosophy of mind.

Varieties of Physicalism

Physicalism exists in many forms. Two of the most commonly discussed are reductive physicalism and non-reductive physicalism.

Reductive Physicalism

Reductive physicalism asserts that all mental states and properties will eventually be explained by scientific accounts of physiological processes and states.

Non-Reductive Physicalism

Non-reductive physicalism asserts that although the brain is all there is to the mind, the predicates and vocabulary used in mental descriptions and explanations are indispensable, and cannot be reduced to the language and lower-level explanations of physical science.

Criticisms of Physicalism

Physicalism has been criticized by several philosophers. These criticisms often center around the idea that physicalism cannot adequately explain the qualia or subjective aspects of mental states.

See also

• Materialism
• Dualism
• Idealism
• Monism
• Philosophy of mind