Materialism (A mad world)

by Balance_Maintained , U.S.A., Tuesday, June 19, 2012, 01:35 (4539 days ago) @ dhw

What follows is not a response to your post but a rider to it. Materialism has two very different meanings, and I think it's wrong to equate them. One is greed for material wealth, and the other is the philosophical theory that matter is the only reality. -Here I think is another misunderstanding. I see the greed and lust for material wealth as a byproduct of the materialist philosophy. The reason I say that is because that philosophy engenders a sense of entitlement, separatism and fatalism. "If there is nothing more than this physical reality, and we are the most intelligent species, then we are able to do what ever we like, however we like, to produce the results that we desire." This does not mean that there are not materialist with morals or values any more than being a theist means you have them. It just means that that particular philosophy lends itself well to a particular type of mindset and worldview. -
>There is among certain types of religious people (I'm not talking about you, Tony) a deep conviction that philosophical materialism goes hand in glove with immorality. I find this view pretty obnoxious. Humanity's greed and concomitant destruction of the world we live in has nothing to do with philosophical materialism.-See Above for my thoughts on that. -
 And so my plea is to keep human greed separate from philosophical explanations of life and the universe.
>-Greed is a function of thought that is shaped by a persons philosophy. Unfortunately my friend, they are not separate at all. 
 
> As for maintaining balance, I expect each of us is convinced that his/her balance is just right ... whether theist, atheist or agnostic. And since none of our current contributors are fundamentalists, we may all be right. Some people can balance perfectly on one leg, whereas others need two!-Speaking for myself only, I am not convinced that my way is right, only that there is something fundamentally wrong with our current world view as a human race.

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What is the purpose of living? How about, 'to reduce needless suffering. It seems to me to be a worthy purpose.