Physicalism is closely related to the word ‘physical,’ which states the material condition of objects surrounding people. According to Jononymous Personymous (2021), physicalism means that everything has a physical substance, but followers of this theory do not deny the fact that abstract objects exist. Individuals can create their specific vision of the concept and promote their ideas to society. For instance, while eating bakery, people can taste cinnamon in different buns or cupcakes, and understanding the flavor is a common example of physicalism. Even though people cannot see the real cinnamon stick or the powder used in the bakery, they can hold a bun that includes this ingredient. Others might argue that taste is an abstract feeling that cannot be related to the physical object. This point of view should not be judged as the theory suggests that every opinion regarding this concept is right.
The superiority of physicalism over idealism is the right to choose different interpretations of the concept. Physicalism brings fewer problems as it does not require individuals to follow specific regulations (Stoljar). The thoughts should be oriented toward self-improvement, and people rarely tend to meet the expectations of the surrounding society. Physicalism proposes the idea that everything is physical, and people can feel every object around them, and there is no need to set high standards that differ from reality. Physicalism does not allow people to dive into unreal illusions that may destroy the flow of life. Moreover, the concept decreases the number of self-esteem problems that can appear because of idealistic thoughts. The minimum number of problems caused by physicalism forces many individuals to choose this concept over idealism and become more realistic in their beliefs.
References
Jononymous Personymous (2021). Physicalism lecture [Video file]. Web.
Stoljar, D. Physicalism. Web.