physischem

Physischem is a German inflected form of the adjective physisch, used when referring to the physical or material in grammatical constructions. In practice, German writers often use the noun das Physische to denote the physical realm, properties and phenomena, as contrasted with mental, spiritual, or social domains.

In philosophy, das Physische is a central term in discussions of physicalism (Physikalismus) and reductionism. It refers to the parts of reality that are described by physics—space, time, matter, energy and the forces connecting them—and to their lawful behavior. Debates about the relationship between the physical and the mental focus on whether all phenomena ultimately supervene on or reduce to the Das Physische, and whether there are genuinely non-physical properties or facts.

In science more broadly, the physical encompasses the objects, processes and laws studied by physics and, to a degree, by chemistry and engineering. The distinction between the physical and non‑physical is often a methodological one: what can be measured, modeled and predicted by physical theories versus phenomena explained by other frameworks. Nonetheless, many scientists maintain that all natural phenomena have a physical basis, even if a complete account requires interdisciplinary methods.

Etymologically, physisch derives from the Greek physis, nature, through Latin and German. The noun form das Physische has appeared in German science and philosophy since the early modern period, alongside related terms such as Physik and Materialismus. See also Physikalismus, Materialismus, Ontologie, Mind–body problem.