The Immaterial

For an atheist, the physical universe is all there is, correct, because it is all that can be interacted with by science and our senses. So as atheists, what is your take on immaterial concepts that you regularly use, with the definition of immaterial being:

Im`ma*te"ri*al\ ([i^]m`m[.a]*t[=e]"r[i^]*al), a. [Pref. im- not + material: cf. F. immat['e]riel.]

1. Not consisting of matter; incorporeal; spiritual; disembodied.

2. Having no material body or form.

3. not material; incorporeal; spiritual.

Some examples of the immaterial include numbers and math, the laws of physics, history, information, ideas, the mind, logic and reason. These things are not made up of atoms or molecules, they cannot be seen, they cannot be held, yet we know they exist. If the physical universe is all there is, why should anything immaterial exist at all? Just looking for an atheist's perspective :P

Math and physics are used to describe the physical universe. For instance, you have 3 apples and take 2 away, thats math. Its a mental, theoretical projection of a physical reality.

Another example could be derivatives in calculus. Taken by themselves they seem impractical and kinda pointless. However, they were originally created to help solve problems in physics, specifically dealing with position, velocity, and acceleration.

Physics is wholly and completely grounded in the physical realm...I'm not really sure where you were going with that one. Sometimes they are a little TOO theoretical, but all true physical theories attempt to explain natural phenomenon.

As for history...I'm not exactly sure how thats immaterial either. It happened.

I don't have a good answer for the mind, because I have almost no idea of the inner workings of the brain. Suffice it to say there IS a physical explanation for how we are able to think and remember, I just couldn't tell you anything outside of electrical impulses interpreted by your brain.

Logic and reason are usually based on physical observations, or based in some kind of math (e.g., If A=B, B=C, then A=C. You probably use that logic more than you think, but I really have no idea. Just conjecturing.). It might not SEEM like your thinking mathematically, but I'm sure if you really looked into it there's a mathematical basis for logical thought. This is all me thinking aloud, there's really no basis for this other than it makes sense to me.

Hmm well atheism doesn't necessarily entail physicalism. An atheist can deny God but be a mind/body dualist for example. That being said I'm a physicalist.

It seems that you're essentially saying that theoretical and conceptual things are immaterial. That's not necessarily true if you identify mental states with brain states. All of the things you listed do not exist per se outside of a person or thing thinking about them and if those thoughts are just electrochemical happenings in the brain then you can actually say that they are physical.

That brings up the philosophy of mind debate though which is absolutely huge.

I agree with mike and domatron. This is why I can see how a god could be rendered valuable as a concept that even if one does not exist, it can be used as some sort of standard, in a moral sense, to judge who you are. If that makes sense.

Agree with mike, but to me the mind is nothing more than neurones. emotions, love, nothing but chemical interaction. I understand why some would find that depressing.Junkie_man

I agree with you, chemical reactions. However it's all we have, though philosophy it's given me perspective on how to take these reactions. For me, as an atheist I needed something to fill the void and that's philosophy.

Also mike hit it on the head with his points, most of the things described in the original post describe things that are physical.