immaterialism
Very LowTechnical / Academic
Definition
Meaning
The philosophical doctrine that matter or the physical world does not have an independent existence, but is dependent on mind or perception for its existence.
A general emphasis on the primacy of spirit, thought, or consciousness over material substance; can refer to an attitude that disregards practical or physical considerations in favour of abstract or spiritual ones.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily used within philosophy, theology, and intellectual history. It denotes a metaphysical position, not a casual attitude of being 'carefree' or 'unworldly'. It is a formal, abstract noun.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in definition or usage between UK and US English. The term is equally rare and technical in both varieties.
Connotations
In both regions, it strongly connotes academic philosophy (particularly idealism, subjective idealism, or Bishop Berkeley's philosophy).
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both corpora, appearing almost exclusively in scholarly texts on metaphysics and the history of philosophy.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
adherence to ~a critique of ~the principles of ~~ as argued by~ versus materialismVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in philosophy, theology, and history of ideas to denote the theory that reality is fundamentally mental or spiritual.
Everyday
Extremely rare; would likely be misunderstood.
Technical
A precise metaphysical term, central to understanding philosophical systems like that of Bishop George Berkeley.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He sought to immaterialise the perceived world in his thesis.
- Philosophers who immaterialise nature face the challenge of explaining physics.
American English
- The theory effectively immaterializes the external object.
- She argued that to immaterialize the universe was the only consistent metaphysical stance.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Immaterialism is a difficult philosophical idea.
- Some religions have ideas similar to immaterialism.
- The philosopher Berkeley is famous for his theory of immaterialism, which claims 'to be is to be perceived'.
- Debates between materialism and immaterialism are central to the philosophy of mind.
- Critics of immaterialism often point to the 'egocentric predicament' as a fundamental weakness in its epistemology.
- Her doctoral thesis provided a robust defence of Berkeleian immaterialism against contemporary physicalist objections.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
IMMATERIALism: Think 'I M-MATERIAL-ism' – 'I am not material' – a philosophy claiming reality is not made of matter.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE WORLD IS A THOUGHT (Reality is conceptual rather than physical).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'несущественность' (insignificance). The Russian philosophical term is 'имматериализм' or more commonly 'идеализм' (idealism).
- It is not equivalent to 'духовность' (spirituality) in a general religious sense.
Common Mistakes
- Using it to mean 'unimportant' (that is 'immaterial').
- Confusing it with 'supernaturalism' or 'mysticism'.
- Pronouncing it as 'im-materialism' with equal stress on all syllables.
Practice
Quiz
Which philosopher is most famously associated with the doctrine of immaterialism?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a specific type of subjective idealism, most famously developed by Bishop George Berkeley. While all immaterialism is a form of idealism, not all idealism (e.g., Plato's or Hegel's) is immaterialism in the strict Berkeleian sense.
No. That would be a serious error. The adjective 'immaterial' means unimportant, but the noun 'immaterialism' is a technical philosophical term with a completely different meaning.
A common argument is the challenge of explaining the consistent, public nature of the physical world if it depends entirely on private perception. How do different minds perceive the same 'tree' if the tree only exists when perceived?
While Berkeley used immaterialism to argue for the existence of God (as the perpetual perceiver who sustains the universe), the doctrine itself is a philosophical, metaphysical position. It can be, but is not necessarily, tied to religious belief.