The History of Materialism

Materialism is the philosophical view that matter and physical phenomena form the fundamental reality. Its roots trace back to ancient Greece, with thinkers like Democritus proposing that everything is composed of atoms. During the Enlightenment, materialism gained prominence by emphasizing empirical science over religious or spiritual explanations. In the 19th century, scientists and philosophers like Karl Marx adopted materialist ideas to analyze society and economics, emphasizing tangible factors over ideals. Today, materialism continues to shape scientific understanding of the universe and our physical existence, asserting that everything, including consciousness, can ultimately be explained through physical processes.