posted
What do you think of "physicalism" as a word? I take it to mean "a belief system that requires the believer to get or have something tangible or physical, say as getting a paycheck from your place of work rather than having the funds deposited electronically in your bank account."
It's either for a story I'm going to write, or a religious movement I'm going to found. I haven't decided which.
posted
That'd make a really interesting idea for a Religion. It'd be like the modern day Quakers...people who denouce the digital world as everything turns digital. Then you could have most of the world caught up almost completely in the digital world, while there are only this small extremist group who lives with only simple technology. That'd be cool. I'd say go for it.
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posted
Why not found a religious movement with the story you write?
Physicalism sounds pretty cool in my mind. It makes sense with the definition, and it makes me wonder what people belonging to that group would do. Would there be extremists who try to bring the world back to them, or try to convince through simple means that their way is better?
posted
I think I've even got a title for the story (or the first book of the new revelation): "Get It In Writing!"
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posted
Matt has a point, and "physicalism" already has a meaning. I would say you're describing materialism rather than totemism, though. Certainly, there is room in materialism for the importance of possession, which is basically excluded from physicalism (possession, as such, is a non-physical concept).
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posted
I think another word for "physicalism" is science, like if one decided to live life only by the laws of science and the ideal that unless it can be proven or touched, it does not exist.
The only real problem with my definition for your belief system, and possibly the general flaw of your system, is that you can't explain that which is un-explainable. "How can one dream that which is intangible and not feel like a blasphemor?", is the question I pose to you.
posted
Right now it's more of a reaction against present trends in one's personal life, say, against those who want all bills to be paid online, or want to buy and sell stocks and bonds without ever getting possession of them, or by paying in cash rather than by charge card.
(Right now it lacks a plot and characters to make it a story.)
posted
That's a great seed to start a story from. I recall hearing some expert say that the only way to truly be "anonymous" is to
-never have a job -never apply for any kind of public assistance, whether state or federal -never open any kind of bank account -never go to the doctor, hospital or dentist -pay for everything in cash -never apply for a credit card or loan of any kind -never apply for an SSN -never pay taxes -never go to school -never get (legally) married -never travel anywhere requiring a passport -never get a driver's license -never vote
That's just for starters. You could really have fun with a character who tried to completely disappear.
posted
Or, you could do all that, then travel abroad and fake your own murder/robbery. The problem is why you'd want to do that.
After all, you could just have a secret identity.
As for the point being discussed, you need to establish a clear motive. For instance, is the person a survivalist of some stripe who believes that society is going to collapse? Then it makes sense to stockpile material goods rather than relying on purely theoretical money in an online bank (it doesn't make sense to stockpile cash, though). Is it for the sake of avoiding any tracking by the government, as suggested by kk? Then you'd want to mostly act normal but carry out a few activities "off the books". Or is it just an interest in "real" assets like antiques or land? In that case it's only an extension of the need to regularly aquire real goods like food, clothing, and shelter. When you buy a car, you need possession of the physical vehicle itself, no matter where the DMV lets you keep the registration and proof of insurance (currently, most DMV's require you keep both of those printed on papers that are with you in the event you get pulled over).
But from what you've said most recently I'd say we're talking about totemism, as Matt already suggested. If it's just about being able to touch a physical object to represent the wealth aquired or expended (and that's what you described), then that's all it is.
posted
I think he's saying he wants to redefine "physicalism" to be a reaction to the increasing digitalization of things, ie online grocery shopping, online banking, digital music, digital books, etc. At least that's what I thought. It sounds like a cool idea.
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posted
And I (following Matt's lead) am saying that there is already a perfectly good word for that which hasn't already been defined as something else entirely.
I'm also adding this link to go with my comments about faked death and secret identities
posted
Here's what I'm thinking in regards to a story. I picture an old man, fifties to sixties, whose life is destroyed by the mass digitization of everything. Basically, he wakes up one morning and finds he does not exist. He has not got a job because he is retired, the bank claims he has no money because no paperwork exists to prove he ever owned one, his identity has been stolen so many times that he is not seen to be who is said to be, most of his friends are moved away or dead, and he never married. Pretty much life sucks, as Gramps must re-enter the wrokforce only to find he and his skills are obsolete in a world of computers and machines. He wanders the streets, a penniless bum, watching dismally at people who listen to music by people they have never seen, watch movies about things they will never experience, earn money they will never touch, and meet people they will never see etc. Slowly, he questions his own existence and yatta...yatta...yatta...he simply vanishes.
Pretty much it shows that physicalism is the belief of a long since dying generation as the intangible use of technology replaces it all. It's a cold, cold future and I'm gonna be sure to remember my jacket.
posted
Well, such a man might well be screwed over by said mass digitalization. I've seen a lot of things where somebody gets ownership of something, both of value or not of any value, but it seemed a shallow and worthless thing either way if said somebody doesn't get physical possession of it.
Sidebar thought: some of you may have seen recent reports of companies ditching long standing pension plans for its workers. A company can negotiate a contract with its workers requiring the company to pay out a pension to its retirees...but then, ten or twenty or thirty years later, the company can get out from under that kind of requirement---leaving the workers with less than they were promised, or in some cases nothing at all.
I imagine that, had the workers (or union reps) known this would have happened, they would have negotiated more up-front money in the first place. Turns out these pensions were as nebulous as the e-stuff I've been talking about.
I suppose the theory in practice here can be encapsulated this way: get as much as you can up front, 'cause you can't count on a future committment.
posted
So...leaning more towards the survivalist mode, but concerned only with the potential emptyness of promises rather than the threat of general social breakdown?
It's not really a coherent philosophy, but there are plenty of people who live that way without crossing over the border into being weirdos and needing a name for their movement.
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