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materialism

muh-TEER-ee-uh-liz-um /məˈtɪər.i.ə.lɪz.əm/

nounB2GRETOEFLUPSC

academicgeneral

The philosophical belief that physical matter is the primary reality and that social institutions develop from concrete economic conditions.

In philosophy, it is the opposite of idealism; in Marxist theory ('historical materialism'), economic conditions shape social reality rather than abstract ideas.

The story behind the word. Derived from Latin 'materia', which originally meant 'wood' or 'building material.' Philosophers in the 17th century adopted materialism to mean the belief that physical matter constitutes everything in the universe, rejecting supernatural explanations.

Word relationships

physicalism: 'Physicalism' is a philosophy of mind holding that everything is physical, while 'materialism' applies broadly to history, economics, and nature.

idealism: Idealism claims that minds, thoughts, and ideas are the foundational reality of human history.

Commonly confused with

consumerism: Consumerism is an obsession with buying products; philosophical materialism holds that physical matter and economic conditions drive reality.

Word family

materialist (noun): One who adheres to the philosophy of materialism.
materialistic (adjective): Focused on physical matter or material possessions.

Collocations

historical materialism
dialectical materialism
philosophical materialism
scientific materialism

Example sentences

"Historical materialism posits that changes in manufacturing technology drive social evolution." Philosophical discussion of human history.
"It is not the consciousness of men that determines their existence, but their social existence that determines their consciousness; this is the principle of historical materialism." Philosophical critique of idealism. (Karl Marx, Preface to A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy (1859))

Memory hook

MATERIAL-ism: Believing that physical MATERIAL goods and economic factors rule world history. Matter and physical conditions shape our world.

When not to use

In academic contexts, do not confuse philosophical materialism with consumerist greed or obsession with shopping.

Fun facts

In popular culture, 'material girl' means someone obsessed with luxury items, but in academic philosophy, a 'materialist' might simply be a physicist or Marxist scholar!