physicalisticadj.
/ˌfɪzᵻkəˈlɪstɪk/, /ˌfɪzᵻklˈɪstɪk/, U.S. /ˌfɪzəkəˈlɪstɪk/ Relating to or characterized by physicalism.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > philosophy > theoretical scientific philosophy > [adjective] > of or relating to physicalism
physicalistic1930
physicalist1934
1930 E. Jaensch & O. Oeser Eidetic Imagery 76 The ‘intellectualism’ of these theories, which only takes account of those aspects of psychic events that are most amenable to such ‘physicalistic’ treatment.
1934 M. Black tr. R. Carnap Unity of Sci. 95 For the sake of precision we might supplement or replace ‘physical language’ by the term ‘physicalistic language’.
1972 Science 16 June 1204/3 To physicalistic philosophy they [sc. altered states of consciousness] are epiphenomena.
1991 Mind 100 11 The occurrence of an M event might supervene on a certain physicalistic state of affairs which together with a certain other physicalistic state of affairs D is causally sufficient for the occurrence of a B event.
Derivatives
physicaˈlistically adv.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > philosophy > theoretical scientific philosophy > [adverb]
physicalistically1932
1932 Mind 41 406 Human phenomena, being spatio-temporal, must be studied physicalistically.
1956 A. J. Ayer Probl. Knowl. v. 210 It is only if such statements [about thoughts, feelings] are interpreted ‘physicalistically’ that they can convey any information from one person to another.
2000 Philos. Sci. 67 (Suppl.) S531 It seems plausible to conclude that if causation is physicalistically accountable in terms of conservation laws, then the temporal symmetry of the latter extends to the former.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1930