Explain dualism, materialism, and Idealism. Which is preferable and why - Essay Example

A PHILOSOPHICAL ESSAY (Dualism, Materialism, and Idealism of (affiliation) Location of submission:Estimated word count: 306 (of text only)A PHILOSOPHICAL ESSAY1. Dualism – this is the philosophy which states that for any particular domain, there are always two kinds or categories of things or fundamental principles. In essence, what it states is a duality of everything in which there are two equal but opposing forces that exist in this world. It posits the theory of the body and the mind (as an example) by accepting the reality of a physical world as well as the existence of another dimension which is the mental (Robinson, 2011). 2. Materialism – this philosophical theory regards material objects as the only measure of reality by disregarding other possible dimensions such as the mental, cultural, or spiritual as it is only material things that constitute the entirety of the universe including all other phenomena.

This theory is alternatively termed as eliminative materialism because it disregards all the other possible mental states as probably inherently wrong and non-existent (Ramsey, 2013). 3. Idealism – this philosophy is basically the exact opposite of materialism by claiming that all forms of observed phenomena (or reality itself) are primarily ideal or mental in form only (as mental constructs and therefore immaterial by its very nature). It rejects materialism by and other forms of philosophical thought by saying all human experiences are mental in nature and the entire universal human existence is just like one giant “mental thought” and ultimate reality is nothing but just images or representations of what people observed (McQuillan, 2014).

Dualism is a better philosophy because it more or less is consonant with what people are observing and experiencing in terms of their earthly human existence. In other words, there is a duality in human existence which is the physical or material world and then another dimension of a spiritual nature because the mind-body interactions are very real indeed (Kelly, 2004). ReferencesKelly, E. (2004). The basics of Western philosophy. Santa Barbara, CA, USA: The Greenwood Publishing Group.McQuillan, C. (2014). German idealism.

Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved July 8, 2014 from http://www.iep.utm.edu/germidea/ Ramsey, W. (2013, April 16). Eliminative materialism. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved July 8, 2014 from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/materialism-eliminative/ Robinson, H. (2011, November 3). Dualism. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved July 8, 2014 from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/dualism/ Due: July 11, 2014 @1:39 a.m.