What are some arguements for Materialism?

Question

In my philosophy class we are assigned a topic and must argue in defense of our topic. My topic is in favor of materialism and that the conscientiousness is product of our brain(so pretty much there is no soul and everything exist in the physical world).

What are some good arguments supporting materialism?

So far I have: Identical twins(their behavior is similar even when separated at birth), (Strong)Artificial Intelligence, and Bio-digital Teleportation (taking a person's body turning it into data and "faxing" it to another location to be reconstructed).

Any other ideas on what I can present? Also what are some contrasting views? Since this is a debate I'm am going to need to rebut any opposition.

Thanks.

Also would psychiatric medication and how it can effect the mental state and how people act be a good argument?

Sorry I meant consciousness instead of conscientiousness. Also I think some people are confused about the Materialism I am referring to. Its not the Economic materialism referring to having wealth but the Philosophical materialism regarding matter as the only reality in the world, which undertakes to explain every event in the universe as resulting from the conditions and activity of matter, and which thus denies the existence of God and the soul.

Answer 1

Yeah, I think science has pretty well established that the brain organ is where our consciousness resides, and that changes to the brain affect this consciousness, like changes to a computer affecting the program it's running. Consciousness appears to be an emergent process of our brain's functioning, given its absolute reliance on the brain, rather than an independent phenomenon like a soul.

I think Occam's razor heavily favors the non-existence of a soul, as the most plausible explanation. We know that everything that makes us who we are--our memories, personality, tastes, quirks, experiences, talents, etc.--are stored as the pattern of interconnections amongst the neurons in your brain, and are also affected by the various neurotransmitters flowing in there. Minutes after you die, your neurons shrivel up, destroying the information content they held; destroying everything that defined you. So what could exist after death? Such a soul would be unthinking since it didn't have a functioning brain, and it would have no memories, no personality, no senses.

What, also, would a soul be made of? Energy? Matter? Or something supernatural? If souls existed, we should be able to detect them in some fashion for the simple reason that they do interact with the natural world (controlling our matter brains). It's like dark matter: we don't know what dark matter is made of, but we know it exists because we can clearly detect its effects on matter like galaxies. No such luck with souls, though; no one has ever been able to measure the effects or deduce the existence of a soul separate from the human brain.

For criticisms of the materialist view, you may want to check out the Wikipedia article on it.

Answer 2

Try the argument of rational self interest.
We are material creatures needing food clothing and shelter to survive.
For moral code and ethics use the same argument.
Treat others fairly so you may conduct commerce. We are of necessity social creatures.
See some of the writings of Ayn Rand on objectivism.

Answer 3

We are material beings...as in manifested. We require material support to continue to exist in a manifest form. Excess materialism denies us the opportunity to explore the possibilities of existence on any but the material plane.

It is a question of balance.

Answer 4

One can not deny this actual international in which all of us stay - hence this is critical what we do with it. moms and dads say to their toddlers - get a job, so you might help your self - to be a in charge citizen etc. the toddlers realize that they needed fabric issues all their existence - the present contraptions, even toys for adults - flash autos, luxury houses, etc etc. To get those, you want to earn a first rate revenue, etc by ability of a job. although there is better to this - that you're going to in basic terms paintings in a job lengthy time period, when you're fairly prepared on it, that this is a pastime of yours. in case you in basic terms paintings in a extreme paying pastime, in which you haven't any pastime, you'd be bored and not in any respect in contact in doing nicely at it. there is better to this international - there is the moral legal responsibility to it. That we do preserve it, if no longer --- we create our personal issues by ability of pollutants and raping the ecosystem, etc. you want to bypass onto your toddlers a very functioning international, and not in any respect one run down by ability of greed and carelessness. this gained't be the answer or component that matches your question, yet in case you'll imagine about it, perchance it is going to provide you techniques for an perspective/perspective to apply? That the international the following, is not basically the actual - different features are modern-day too...

Answer 5

We must eat, drink, wear clothes, have some form of shelter, and most of us would like to have some form of transportation. It's a material world.

Answer 6

"Money can't buy happiness, but it sure as hell can eliminate a lot of unhappiness." (A friends personal experience with materialism, its subsequent freedoms to excess, and, consequently an appreciation of minimalism.)

Answer 7

I can lock a puppy in a box and walk away for a few weeks and the puppy will be dead when I reopen the box. Therefore the puppy is not in my mind.

Answer 8

Labotamy. I read a story who have a chunk of his brain cut out and his personality was RADICALY different.

Answer 9

sorry u took all the pain to explain all what u wanted to get across but I have a one sentence answer and that is, MATERIALISM IS NOT WORTH ARGUING UPON.