Philosophical materialism is superior to philosophical idealism. This may not be what we know we know to be true, but it is what aligns with our (as Diagnosis Theory subscribers) sense of humor and sense of what can be considered real human thought. The abundance of evidence makes this evidently clear (notwithstanding a serious discussion of methodological flaws in much of modern science practice, such discussion ought to be squelched so more can “believe in science”), with more and more evidence emerging every year, week, and minute to this same effect. The medical proof for mental illness as a permanent flaw in the material of a person is always just around the corner, and with it the ultimate showing of physical reality or the reality of the mind or the soul. A discussion of what philosophical idealism and philosophical materialism actually are would be mostly a waste of time, given it would constitute a capitulation to a world of ideas rather than “evidence”, even if that evidence is gathered through far less than ideal use of the scientific method. Idealistic is a dirty word, as is materialistic, given the kinds of thoughts and controversy they may cause. Nevertheless our view is best described a philosophically materialistic (in so far as we submit to impractical philosophical scrutiny, which, since we are more sane than other people, we shouldn’t need to). Within this view, our faith in science may extend even beyond a natural desire to remember facts, but not so far as to scrupulously assess let alone reassess our favorite facts and ways of knowing. We can easily distract ourselves from epistemic crises in the sciences by orienting ourselves toward the learning of more facts, or that which we are habituated to believing are facts — though these habituated ways of knowing can remain unexamined. Our faith in science may extend even to a committed war against faith ending only in a glorious and final triumph of science over it. These quasi-apocalyptic, quasi-messianic visions may fuel our incapacity to examine our incapacity to examine our ways of knowing or our mind as mind itself. In trusting philosophical materialism and harder views of reality, we our minds become desirably harder, tougher, perceive ourselves as mentally stronger, maybe even, in humble ways, invincible. Or, at least, we are safe from moral thinking, as anyone who expresses a moral view is laughable, ridiculous.
In the empty space for meaning otherwise filled with philosophical pondering, as empty bodies of physical particles divested of mind, we gleefully but with unrecognizable anguish plot, run from, and provide diagnosis.
Meanwhile, a necessary exception is made in our dominating adherence to philosophical materialism for the idealized minds of those we imagine to be imbued with psychiatric authority, those we charge with keeping us safe from the bogeymen, both outside and within. This is not contradiction. The only contradiction that could exist would be for a patient to refuse the medication prescribed by their doctor, or to speak ill of them in any way.
Or, explore the opposite: Tenet 1 – Philosophical materialism and philosophical idealism should exist in balance
Misdiagnosed Anonymous 