physics

Spiritualism (philosophy)

Spiritualism (philosophy) is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Spiritualism (philosophy) rather than just read about it. In short: In philosophy, spiritualism is the concept, shared by a wide variety of systems of thought, that there is an immaterial reality that cannot be perceived by the senses. This includes philosophies that postulate a personal God, the immortality of the soul, or the immortality of the intellect or will, as well as any systems of thought that assume a universal mind or cosmic forces lying beyond the reach of purely materi…

Key takeaways

Spiritualism (philosophy) belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Spiritualism (philosophy) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Spiritualism (philosophy) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

In philosophy, spiritualism is the concept, shared by a wide variety of systems of thought, that there is an immaterial reality that cannot be perceived by the senses. This includes philosophies that postulate a personal God, the immortality of the soul, or the immortality of the intellect or will, as well as any systems of thought that assume a universal mind or cosmic forces lying beyond the reach of purely materialistic interpretations. Generally, any philosophical position, be it dualism, monism, atheism, theism, pantheism, idealism or any other, is compatible with spiritualism as long as it allows for a reality beyond matter. Theism is an example of a dualist spiritualist philosophy, while pantheism is an example of monist spiritualism. As a philosophical tradition, spiritualism was especially associated with 19th- and early 20th-century French thought.

Notable spiritualist thinkers

See also Metaphysics Sensualism Spiritualism (religious movement) Spiritualism (Wallace)

Notes

Citations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Spiritualism (philosophy)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Spiritualism (philosophy) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Spiritualism (philosophy) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Spiritualism (philosophy) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Spiritualism (philosophy)

In research: Spiritualism (philosophy) appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Spiritualism (philosophy) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Spiritualism (philosophy) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Cosmology stubs, Metaphysics of religion, Metaphysics stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Spiritualism (philosophy) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Spiritualism (philosophy) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Spiritualism (philosophy) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Spiritualism (philosophy) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Spiritualism (philosophy) in simple terms?

Why does Spiritualism (philosophy) matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Spiritualism (philosophy)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Spiritualism (philosophy).