Fisikalisme is die filosofiese siening dat alles wat bestaan fisies is, of op die fisiese gebaseer is. Volgens hierdie materialistiese wereldbeeld kan alle verskynsels – insluitend bewussyn, gedagtes en emosies – uiteindelik verklaar word in terme van fisiese prosesse soos breinaktiwiteit, chemiese reaksies en neurale netwerke. ‘n Fisikalis sou byvoorbeeld beweer dat wanneer jy liefde voel, dit niks meer is as chemiese reaksies in jou brein nie, en dat selfs geestelike ervarings net komplekse fisiese prosesse is. Hierdie siening staan in teenstelling met die Christelike geloof dat die mens ‘n siel het en dat daar geestelike werklikhede bestaan wat nie tot materie gereduseer kan word nie.
Physicalism is the philosophical view that everything that exists is physical or is based on the physical. According to this materialistic worldview all phenomena – including consciousness, thoughts, and emotions – can ultimately be explained in terms of physical processes such as brain activity, chemical reactions, and neural networks. A physicalist would claim, for example, that when you feel love it is nothing more than chemical reactions in your brain, and that even spiritual experiences are merely complex physical processes. This view stands in contrast to the Christian belief that human beings have a soul and that spiritual realities exist that cannot be reduced to matter.