Occams Hatchet and Is Materialism "Special"

[robvalue]

I don't know. What does material mean? If it means "that which literally exists", then by definition everything that exists is material.

Seriously. Does it mean anything else? People who want to argue against it often seem to draw some arbitrary line at things we can currently test (or can ever test) that exist, and call that material. Then they say these "other things" that do exist, aren't material. Trying to shoe horn in magic and shit.

Of course, as well as the literally existent we have abstract concepts and rules. And experiental realities. And whatever else. I'm quite happy to say these things "exist", in their own way. But it's usually a different usage of the word than literally existing. Rules tend to "apply", for example. Abstract concepts exist conceptually. Existence is extremely hard to define anyway, so I tend to only use it in relative terms. Abstract concept A and B exist as much as each other. Material object C and D exist as much as each other. A and C do not necessarily exist in the same way.

Are we just saying abstract concepts are non-material? Rules are non-material? If so, sure. They're (not necessarily) the same thing. I put the qualifier in there in case we've fucked up and are, actually, looking at the same thing somehow.

(This pragmatic model covers solipsism and other collapses.)