Materialism

Materialism is the philosophical school that believes that substance is the only reality in the world and everything can be explained by the conditions of matter.  Obviously, materialism does not believe nor have room for the existence of God and/or the soul.  Materialism is the anti-thesis of both Spiritualism and Idealism and yet surpasses both in popularity and age.  The origination lies (as with most schools) in ancient Greece, but the actual "birthday" of materialism remains a mystery.  Nevertheless, philosophers do know that Materialism was born as a whole, and that it quickly branched into three different schools: extreme, hylozoism, and cosmological.

Extreme Materialism is also known as Materialistic Monism and states that mind and matter are like the yin and the yang, although opposite, are necessary to complete each other.  Extreme Materialists share many of the same ideals and beliefs as Taoists and other religious affiliations such as Buddhism and Hinduism.

Hylozoism is the form of Materialism in which matter is divine and takes the place of God completely.  This form of Materialism is hardly unique and it often seen in other ancient cultures, for example, many ancient Native American tribes worshiped nature and all the object within it.

Cosmological Materialism is a form used to describe and characterize an interpretation of the universe (e.g. The Big Bang Theory).  Most anti-religious Materialists fall into this category because this is the most scientific and anti-dogmatic form of Materialism in existence.  The basic purpose of this division is to prove religion to be wrong and most Cosmological Materialists believe that any religious convictions should be replaced by scientific explanations.

Materialism as a whole is anti-religious, anti-theological, and is best described in the writings of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin.  According to philosophers such as Marx, Lenin, and Friedrich Engels, the economic structure of a society influences the political, social, and religious spheres of that society.  While Materialism may have a bone to pick with general religions, it is Christianity that opposes Materialism with full force.  Notable philosophers involved in the beginning of the Christianity/Materialism battle were Denis Diderot, Julien Offroy de La Mettrie, and Paul Henri d'Holbach. 

In the Christianity/Materialism battle, science and creation are the two topics that spawn great controversy.  Christians believe that one God created the universe and that he rules it.  In contrast, Materialists believe that the Big Bang or other various theories created the world.  Materialists, in support of their claims, bring various proofs from natural science forward.  Materialism is often credited for introducing atheism to the modern world, but this accusation often overshadows the other influences of Materialism.  For example, Materialism is responsible for the influence of science in society and the progress of technology. The brilliant successes in natural science give Materialism a powerful support.  Meanwhile, neither the scientist nor doctor can prove or disprove the spiritual world.  It is this doubt of the spiritual world that defines a Materialist.

As the Christian/Materialism clash rages on, and as time goes by, Materialists become more and more anti-religious and hostile towards Christians as well as other denominations.  In recent years, the influence of evolution has fueled the fire of Materialists everywhere, and may be responsible for the spread of evolutionary beliefs.  Supporters of the theory of evolution (often known as Darwinists) go beyond the anti-theism of Materialism to prove absolutely that creation was natural instead of supernatural.

While the disagreement continues to swirl around Materialism and it's ideals, Materialists everywhere continue to explore new possibilities and rehash old philosophies and theories.  While Materialism may have taken on a new meaning in current culture, it is surely a philosophy that will continue to spark interest and controversy wherever it sprouts.