Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)

No. 12, 2023

 

History of Physicalism and Historical Materialism

(Abstract)

 

Zhou Jiaxin

 

Physicalism is widely regarded as one of the most recent advances in contemporary materialist discourse. In the narrow sense, physicalism is concerned with issues of mind-brain relations, but physicalism in the philosophy of mind gains from linguistic physicalism. In the broad sense, physicalism is seen as an ontological commitment. The progress of physicalism experienced an upward spiral with the interpretation of the nature of consciousness, but it has been unable to escape from the theoretical debates caused by intentionality, qualia and Hempel’s dilemma. The development of physicalism and its dilemmas have highlighted the importance of the fundamental philosophical question of the relationship between thought and existence. The response to the theoretical challenges facing physicalism can be found in reversion to drawing on the methodologies of historical materialism and the critique of political economy. To uphold materialism and to oppose idealism, dualism and mysticism, we must reflect on the metaphysical tendencies in the existing controversy over physicalism on the basis of the development of the contemporary natural sciences and in-depth social history.