Phiosophy or Theory

August 2, 2012 AM

Materialism is a philosophy that physical matter is the only or fundamental reality and that all being and processes and phenomena can be explained as manifestations or results of physical matter. 

In sociology materialists believe that technological and economic aspects play the primary role in shaping a society. Materialist follows this approach:

Forces of production: The environment, technology, population pressure and trade shape the social organization of society.

Relations of production: The social organization of society forms the bases for culture.

Superstructure: Ideology, culture, politics. 

In the above I will define culture and ideology as follows.

Culture is the sum total of all shared knowledge, learned behavior, patterns of attitudes and perceptions of a people.  Michael Joseph Francisconi

Ideology is the openly expressed system of beliefs of a people.

Michael Joseph Francisconi

Marxist is more like soft materialist in that they see the above relations as reciprocal. But, starting with changes that follow the materialist way will have more immediate and long-term effects than by going the other way.

Idealism is a philosophy that the ultimate reality lies in a realm going beyond observable facts that we find in the physical world around us, and truth has its origin in the supernatural.

In Sociology idealism is a theory that the essential nature of reality lays in consciousness, reason and the interpretation we place on things.