Friday, February 13, 2009

Mentalism vs. Materialism

In the world of philosophy, there are two sides who theorize of what we call reality.  There are the Mentalists who view the world through an Idealist point of view.  They view everything as a subjective experience, in other words, to be is to be percieved.  According to mentalists, nothing is concrete, the things we touch, see, smell, taste, and hear are nothing more than sensations.  Since they are nothing more than percieved sensations, it is impossible to conclude that something truly exists.  Mentalists also view the mind as its own entity, operating in ways that are impossible for humans to understand.  Then there are the Materialists, who view everything that can be sensed is reality.  Materialists don't believe in supernatural forces or mysterious entities.  They view the mind as an organ that functions as a product of the enviroment.  They believe that reality is constant and does not change according to people's perceptions.  So when it comes down to it, both sides have good cases.  Personally, I find myself siding with the Mentalist point of view, just because I like the idea of the supernatural. 

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