Social Sciences of Materialism

A field that studies materialism—the view that matter is the fundamental substance of reality—as a social and cultural phenomenon. It examines how materialist worldviews are adopted, spread, and institutionalized across different societies and historical periods. It also studies the relationship between philosophical materialism and economic materialism (consumer culture), as well as how materialist beliefs correlate with other social variables like secularism, scientific education, and political orientation. The social sciences of materialism treat materialism as one belief system among many, whose social life can be empirically investigated.

Example: “Social sciences of materialism research found that in postsocialist societies, philosophical materialism (rejecting spiritual reality) often coexists with economic materialism (valuing wealth) in ways that differ from Western secularism.”

Sociology of Materialism

The sociological branch focusing on the group dynamics and institutional supports of materialist worldviews. It examines how materialist communities form (e.g., online skeptic forums, atheist organizations), how they create and enforce orthodoxy, and how they engage with non‑materialist groups. The sociology of materialism also studies how materialist assumptions are embedded in scientific institutions, education, and media, and how challenges to materialism (e.g., from idealist or panpsychist scientists) are socially managed.

Example: “The sociology of materialism showed that many self‑described materialists hold inconsistent beliefs—for example, believing in free will while denying it philosophically—suggesting that materialism functions more as a social identity than a coherent doctrine.”

Social Sciences of Materialism by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal April 16, 2026