'SCIENTIFIC MATERIALISM.'

Is Scientific Materialism Compatible with Dogmatic Theology?

Against Materialism

Materialism is the idea that human beings are material objects—brains, perhaps, or some part of the brain—without immaterial selves or souls. I give two arguments against materialism. The first is an argument from possibility: it is possible that I should exist when no part of my body exists, in which case I am not identical with my body or any part of my body. The second is an argument from im...

Aristotelian Materialism

I argue that a modern gloss on Aristotle’s notions of Form and Matter not only allows us to escape a dualism of the psychological and the physical, but also results in a plausible sort of materialism. This is because Aristotle held that the essential nature of any psychological state, including perception and human thought, is to be some physical property. I also show that Hilary Putnam and Mar...

Scientific Representation , Materialism and New Facts A response to David Hodgson

I would like to thank David Hodgson (2008) for his intriguing reply to my paper on the Knowledge Argument (Schier, 2008). I have four general points I would like to make in response. The first point is simply to agree that scientific representations may be integrated. I drew the somewhat vague distinction between ‘fragmented’ and ‘integrated’ representations in order to capture the ways in whic...

Materialism and food security.

The present studies examined if materialists have an elevated concern about food availability, presumably stemming from a general survival security motivation. Study 1 found that materialists set a greater life goal of food security, and reported more food insecurity during their childhood. Materialists reported less present-day food insecurity. Study 2 revealed that materialists stored/hoarded...