14. Materialism




  1. The concept of materialism

This thought system affirms that only the matter exists. From the Big Bang, atoms and their elements were gathering around and forming the world. Under this system, matter is eternal and exists by its own, with its forces and laws.    

a) In previous topics we have already seen that a necessary Being exits who is the cause of the existence of the rest of beings, contingents or produced. These ones might not exist.

b) The necessary Being is infinite contrary to matter which is limited and finite. Besides, matter is not alive, or has intelligence and so it is not indefinitely perfect. Therefore, matter cannot be the necessary Being.

c) The necessary Being is immutable, while matter is subject to all kind of changes, by physical or chemical reasons. So, matter is not the necessary Being.

(Painting: Retrato alegórico de Dante. Anónimo italiano. Galería Nacional de Arte. Washington)

  A. Chose the right answer: spirit, wealth, matter, atoms, bodies, stars, eternal, contingent, necessary, finite, infinite, unlimited, necessary, imperfect, perfect, changeable, immutable or mutable

 1. For materialism there is only:

 2. What were gathering around?

 3. The created beings are:

 4. Matter is:

 5. Matter is not:

 6. The necessary Being is:




  2. Qualities of matter

a) Matter is not properly eternal, because its existence has had a beginning.

b) Matter is inert and cannot move by its own.

c) It has no intelligence and so cannot organize the universe

d) Matter is not alive nor can give life to others living beings, such as plants, animals or men.

e) Matter does not think nor is free, because has no intelligence nor will.

(Painting: El jardín de Edén. Anónimo de Alemania. Museo de Frankfurt).

B. Chose the right answer in brackets: beginning, eternity, perfection, movable, perfect, inert, freedom, intelligence, will, life, death, illness, move, want, think, intelligence, freedom or memory

 1. Matter is not eternal nor has had a:

 2. It cannot move by its own because is:

 3. It does not organize the universe and has no:

 4. Matter has no:

 5. It has no intelligence and does not:

 6. It has no will nor:

  3. Materialism

Materialism affirms that there are an infinite number of atoms and that these atoms found each other by chance, gathered around and formed doughs out of which the earth, the sun, the moon, stars and the rest of the world emerged.

However, they do not say where these atoms came from. They imagine the atoms moving but forget to say who moves them. They assume that their casual gathering has produced the world, but they do not show who is the author of the admirable order ruling the universe.

Reason tells us to be impossible that atoms exist without a creator.

It is impossible too that atoms move without an engine.

An intelligent being who has created the atoms and the universe is needed.

(Painting: Creación de los animales. MASTER, Beltran. Kunsthalle. Hamburgo)  

  C. Chose the right answer: small, medium size, infinite, necessity, chance, duty, atoms, neutrons, protons, stop, move, rest, creator, physicist, chemist, having memory, willing or intelligent.

 1. For materialism, the number of atoms is:

 2. Atoms gathered around by:

 3. Materialism does not say where _______ came from:

 4. Atoms move but they do not say who ________ them:

 5. It is impossible that atoms exist without a:

 6. It is necessary for universal order a being:




 If you are registered, please enter your data:

  Name:
    

Password:
   

Registration Information

 Educational applications 

Back 

In Spanish

®Arturo Ramo García.-Record of intellectual property of Teruel (Spain) No 141, of 29-IX-1999 Plaza Playa de Aro, 3, 1º DO 44002-TERUEL







>