mattercentric

Mattercentric is an adjective and noun used in philosophy and science studies to describe an orientation that places matter and material processes at the center of analysis. A mattercentric account seeks explanations that begin with physical substrates—atoms, fields, energies, and material interactions—before appealing to abstract structures such as information, codes, or mental representations.

The term has appeared in interdisciplinary discussions since the late 20th century, particularly in debates about materialism, physicalism, and the role of computation in cognitive science, as well as in science and technology studies that emphasize how material infrastructure shapes knowledge production and social practices.

Core tenets include material primacy, empiricism, and attention to causal mechanisms at the level of physical processes. Proponents often argue that reliable explanations should ground themselves in observable properties and interactions of matter, though some endorse non-reductive forms of materialism that acknowledge emergent phenomena and higher-level organization.

Critics contend that a strictly mattercentric view can neglect subjective experience, social meaning, or informational architectures that influence phenomena. They also warn against overly reductionist conclusions that disregard abstraction, theory-laden observation, or the role of cognition and culture in shaping understanding.

See also: materialism, physicalism, reductionism, emergentism, information theory.