Is this world made of matter or something else, perhaps consciousness, and what do you think it is?

Question

--(though many do not realize it, the idea that everything is made of matter, primarily atoms, is only a theory, an assumption. and just as Newton's laws were disproved and replaced, so will this theory one day. However, it has been built into our minds for so long to be fact that many people cannot see past that. so what do you think the universe is made of? - matter or something else entirely?

(I have to add this, so that i don't get more people giving me reading recommendations; i have read many things and i have my own ideas about the subject. i only want to know your ideas. Thanks)

Answer 1

the physical world is made of matter, however there is a human level of consciousness, that is used to control societies and or people.

Answer 2

Newton's laws weren't disproved, they were refined.
If materialism is just a theory, it's a pretty good one, as atomic theory proved itself with controlled nuclear explosions.
However, the atomic theory is having problems. Quantum mechanics digs up more atomic particles every time a new atom smasher is built. How many are there? There can't be an endless number of them, but cyclotrons are fearsomely expensive and we may be reaching the limit of what experiments can tell us. There is the confusing truth that atomic particles change their behavior depending upon whether or not someone is watching them - this is a major issue.
Einstein's formula showed the equivalence of matter and energy. If they are equivalent, does this mean they are the same? It would seem so. This would replace materialism with energeticism, although this wouldn't destroy the atomic theory.
We simply don't know if atomic particles are conscious. For one thing, we don't have a very good working definition of what consciousness is, since this is a metaphysical concept. The future promises to be interesting.

Answer 3

I must agree with previous answers that there is a LOT of material that is much more organized than an online site. But hey, considering you ASKED it, ill give you my view on it.
If this world were not made of matter, but rather of a type of nebulous consciousness (or accute....depending on how you look at it) then what would make up the consciousness? Wouldn't matter still exist, if simply within the realms of a proverbial dream? If this were all a dream, then are dreams real? I think it all depends on what you consider reality--it matters not the method we get the universe, we must face the fact that matter...matters. Even if its an extension of some sort of ubermatter or conscious filaments, the essence of it is the same.
No, I'm not one of those people that can't "see past" matter, I'm simply acknowledging the fact that whatever you want to call it, it exists!

Answer 4

I believe the world is. Matter is a theory of what we precieve of what is. Thus matter is made of consciousness, for it is only in the mind of humans that we have matter. I do not know what the world is made of, nore do I need to. I need not know what it is to understand what I see, as long as I assume a probible definition. Matter is what we difine as anything that takes up space and has mass. So I think that the world is made of something compleatly different than matter but I believe the theory of matter is a farly good representaion of what is. I also believe that the theory of mater is incompleate and that scintific knowlege will provied ferther insight into what is. It however will not provide insight into anything but the physical world. Which means you have to consider that what you are asking cannot be answered by science as of now. Thus it is important for the human race to question and make theory as to what it is. It is improtant that we find experiment to bace our theory on as well.

Answer 5

O.Kay, all the Greek philosophers thought about it. A LOT. And then, the medieval magistri philosophiae, too. Then, Lock, and Spinoza, Leibniz, Walter,...... so try reading some of their stuff. You can learn much more, then just by asking on Internet. I prefer Leibniz, personally.

Answer 6

Well what sense would it make for the world to actually be not of matter but of non-matter, and only have the mirage of matter. It makes much more sense that the world is material as it seems.

Answer 7

If you have spent all of your time disproving your own beliefs with theories of what forms of matter your mind may or may not pass through, then you may never be abducted :-P

Answer 8

maybe all mentalism, ya never know, there might be one element out there thats not really an element, but a power of some sort, not like god....but if we could reach absolute zero, we would know!!