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What’s happening to physicalism?
Is physicalism, the dominant underpinning of secular society, being undermined today? Is it slipping in general public acceptance? There are some indications it may be.
Physicalism is the dominant worldview, belief system, or operating system of our cultural drivers. I mean the institutions that have access to our primary channels and exert most influence over how we think and what we believe to be true — our worldview. This is our education system, media, journalism, entertainment, political and legal systems, and more. Physicalism, deriving from the 300 year old massive worldview change leading to the science revolution and rejection of religious authority, serves as the basis for and protector of our secular beliefs.
The term physicalism as I am using it is interchangeable with materialism or naturalism and when fully adopted as the preferred metaphysic can be called scientism. In simplistic terms, it denies the existence of anything beyond the realm of physical reality, a reality that can be measured and put to experimental test. There is matter, energy, and forces which are essentially the same thing. There is no supernatural realm, no “something more,” no spiritual existence. Nothing beyond what science can explain, even if science has not yet been able to answer every question.
