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Has there ever been a viable alternative to the phsycialist model of the universe?
(sh.itjust.works)
this post was submitted on 05 Dec 2025
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It would be science, because I'm asking if something that isn't physical in origin exists.
It sounds like you're trying to use the wrong tool, though. Science is a great system for learning about the observable universe, but less so for other things. To put it another way, science is great for telling you how, philosophy is great for exploring why.
But aren't most philosophers Physicalists who just say "Listen to the science"
Science explains the strong nuclear force. We have a fair understanding of how it works. Why is there a strong nuclear force? Why is the Planck length the size it is? Science can't answer those kinds of questions, nor what is good or evil, or if they even exist outside of the hearts of man. The best Science can give for those questions is "because". And philosophers? Well, they can't give firm answers, either, certainly no more solid than "listen to the science," but that's mostly because a lot of those kind of questions don't really have answers. That we know of, anyway, and some people find that hard so they fall back on the answers they do have, and say "listen to the science."