Idealism and Materialism, two
forms of the theories of reality, in order to investigate the reality,
discuss the problem of the mature of knowledge, and give controversial
solution in different forms. Idealism regards mind as the primary reality; and
all are grounded in mind. But materialism wants to explain all things by matter
and material objects. Let us now discuss idealism and materialism respectively
in detail.
Idealism
As a metaphysical theory, Idealism holds that the world
is grounded in mind or its basic stuff is mental or spiritual. It regards mind
or thought as priori and primary, and matter as derived and secondary or by
product of mind. Actually, idealism is opposed to realism, mechanism and all
non-idealistic theories of reality, but most directly and strongly to
materialism. So, in narrow sense it is also called ‘spiritualism’. But the name
‘Idealism’ has a far greater currency than ‘spiritualism’.
Along with the above mentioned facts, the other
general features of Idealism are:
·
Idealism
advocates a vital force, i.e. God, behind the whole reality
·
It says that the
clue to the ultimate nature of things is to be sought among the states and
processes of our mind, not among material bodies or physical forces.
·
Consciousness,
thought, intelligence, reason, and our moral and religious ideas are the
genuine ingredients of the real, not secondary or subjective.
·
“Matter is either
illusory or at best a mere externalization of the thought-content or spiritual
essence of the reality.”
·
Idealism defends
morality perfection and some ideals.
·
The world is not
without a purpose, not ‘a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and furry, but
signifying nothing’. It exists as a means to the realization of some external
inherent purpose. Thus idealism rejects all mechanical conceptions of
evaluation.
·
Idealism spiritualizes matter.
·
It resolves the
whole reality to spirit.
·
It reduces matter
to spirit.
However, in its long history, idealism has appeared in
many different forms by different exponents in ontological, epistemological and
metaphysical considerations. “But it must not be forgotten that these different
stand points are not without relations but rather often involve each other.”
Now we can mention some of them:
Berkeley’s
Subjective Idealism or Mentalism:
Berkeley denies the existence of the ‘external’
objects, and reduces them to the ‘subjective ideas’ of the finite minds that
perceive them. According to Berkeley, a clergyman, the so called external
objects are sensations produced in the finite minds by God according to fixed
laws. He says, “There is nothing in the universe except the infinite spirit and
a realm of finite spirit.”
Phenomenalistic
Idealism of Kant:
Kant does not deny the existence of
‘things-in-themselves’ or ‘noumena’, but he regards them as unknown and
unknowable. We can know only their phenomenal appearances through our own forms
and categories.
Absolute Idealism (Objective Idealism): Hegel and
others:
Removing the distinction between or dualism of
‘noumena’ and ‘phenomena’ of Kant’s idealism, Hegel admits the reality of the
world. But he regards it as an outward ‘expression’ of the ‘Absolute mind’.
Of the many other forms of idealism, now we can
mention the names of the Archetypal (objective) Idealism of Plato, the
Spiritualism or Monadism of Leibniz, Idealism of Fichte, and Transcendental
Idealism of Schellings.
Materialism
Materialism is the ontological theory that regards
matter as the only reality, and life and mind as the products of matter. Thus
materialism explains all things in material point of view. Simon Blackburn in
his Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy defines materialism as “the view that the
world is entirely composed of matter”.
According to materialism, the matter the reality or
the primary substance, and motion, the primary form of activity of matter, can
explain all processes in reality- the physical processes, the vital processes
of organisms as well as the mental processes. Even life is a complex physical
chemical force; mind is a form, or a function, or an epiphenomenon of the brain
which is material. It says that extension and impenetrability are the central
attributes of matter.
Other
features of materialism:
·
Materialism
denies the existence of any Vital force, or God. It does not also believe in
soul, next world, and supernaturalism.
·
The universe is
composed of atoms, the minute particles, which have the forces of space,
motion, attraction and repulsion.
·
It has no
question of morality.
·
There is no
purpose behind the creation of the world. Rather it advocates the mechanical
theory of evolution.
·
All are governed
by the ‘laws of nature’.
·
It advocates the
theory of ‘abiogenesis’. That is, life evolves out of lifeless matter
spontaneously.
·
Materialism
believes in the law of conversation of Energy. So, light, heat, electricity,
magnetism, chemical affinity and mechanical motion are regarded as convertible
to one another.
·
Man has no
freedom of will.
Matter has been conceived by the materialists in
different ways, with different associations
and implications.
Hylozoism:
The materialists of early Greece usually ascribed a
sort of vitality to matter. Such position-- the position that matter is endowed
with life-- is called hylozoism. It is obviously visible even in the nineteenth
century thinker, Ernst Haeckel.
Atomism:
The atomistic school, established in early Greece,
maintains that the elements of the world are atoms and that …
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