MATERIALISM
What is materialism?
The conventional definition of materialism is an ontology (theory of reality) based exclusively on physical things. An alternative, and perhaps better statement of the sense of this concept is that reality consists only of facts (i.e., phenomena that have been observed and recorded as data points by appropriate methods). This is the view that once premised a particular version of science, namely positivism. Those practicing positivistic science claimed that science must have a factual basis, so they either rejected idealist and behaviourist concepts and labels, or tried to reinterpret these other views in materialist terms. Positivists regarded speculative thought as long on theory but short on results, something they were dedicated to reversing. Those who have a materialist focus to their lives are primarily concerned with the acquisition, possession, and consumption of things (goods and the services these provide), and that kind of lifestyle becomes their major source of gratification. The problem with a materialist approach is that there is a limit to how much one can consume, beyond which the acquistion of more becomes compulsive (a form of psychopathology).
One of the implications of materialism that positivists drew, was that many (perhaps most) of the concepts in philosophy and psychology were hypothetical and "unreal" - they rejected these as nonsense, but to others this meant science was "cold and mechanical". In hindsight it is apparent that the problem was that positivists were trying to apply the paradigm of classical physics to all phenomena, whereas other concepts and other methods were needed for other subject-matter.
How does materialism work?
Science can no longer be composed exclusively of "material" facts because so many concepts in all scientific disciplines are now "hypothetical" rather than directly observable. Hence the definition of science has expanded to include both facts and principles. And human beings cannot really live on things alone, because emotional needs must be satisfied symbolically and socially, not just with more things. Where does that leave materialism? Material things can still be distinguished from other phenomena (ideas and behaviours). Consumption of a certain amount of material things (food, clothing, shelter, etc.) is necessary to satisfy basic physiological and social needs. Beyond certain levels however, compulsive searching for more "material facts" (science) or material objects (lifestyle) reaches a point where the additional utility gained is no longer worth the effort expended. So, materialism is one aspect of reality, but not the whole of it.
References
Michael Brian Schiffer
THE MATERIAL LIFE OF HUMAN BEINGS
Routledge, New York, 1999