Physicalism facts for kids

Physicalism is a way of thinking that says everything in the universe is made of physical stuff. This means that only things you can touch, see, or measure with science are real. Physicalism does not believe in things like ghosts, spirits, or gods because they are not made of physical material. Someone who believes in physicalism is often called a materialist.

What Does Physical Mean?

When we talk about "physical," we mean anything that can be studied by physics. This includes things like atoms, energy, and forces. It's about what makes up the world around us, from tiny particles to huge galaxies.

Everything is Physical

Physicalists believe that everything, including our thoughts, feelings, and even our minds, comes from physical processes in our brains. They think that if you understand how the brain works, you understand the mind.

No Non-Physical Things

This view means there are no special, non-physical parts of us, like a soul that leaves the body. It also means there are no magical or supernatural things that exist outside of the physical world.

Why Do People Believe in Physicalism?

Many people who believe in physicalism are influenced by science. Science has been very successful at explaining how the world works using physical laws.

Science and Physicalism

Scientists often look for physical explanations for everything they observe. For example, when we feel sad, scientists look at the chemicals and electrical signals in our brains. They don't usually look for a non-physical reason.

Explaining the World

Physicalism offers a way to understand the world that fits well with what we learn from chemistry, biology, and physics. It suggests that all events, even complex ones, can be traced back to physical causes.

Different Kinds of Physicalism

There are a few different ways to think about physicalism. Some physicalists believe that everything can be reduced to basic physics. Others think that new properties can "emerge" from physical things.

Reductive Physicalism

Reductive physicalism says that everything, even complex things like minds, can be fully explained by the basic laws of physics. It's like saying a cake can be fully understood by knowing all its ingredients and how they mix.

Explaining Complex Things

This idea suggests that if you know enough about atoms and how they interact, you could explain why we think or feel. It tries to reduce complex ideas to simpler, physical parts.

Non-Reductive Physicalism

Non-reductive physicalism agrees that everything is physical, but it also believes that some things, like our thoughts, are more than just simple physical parts. They "emerge" from the physical parts in a new way.

Emergent Properties

Imagine a computer. It's made of physical parts, but the software running on it is a new, complex thing that emerges from those parts. Non-reductive physicalists think the mind is like that – it's physical, but it has new properties that can't be simply reduced to basic physics.

Physicalism and Other Ideas

Physicalism is different from other ideas that believe in non-physical things. For example, it's different from dualism, which says that both physical and non-physical things exist.

Physicalism vs. Dualism

Dualism often believes in a physical body and a non-physical mind or soul. Physicalism, on the other hand, says there's only the physical. For physicalists, the mind is part of the physical brain.

One Kind of Stuff

So, the main difference is that physicalism believes in only one kind of "stuff" (physical), while dualism believes in two kinds (physical and non-physical).