65 Examples of Material Things

John Spacey, updated on February 09, 2024

Material things are physical things that have value and utility to people. People require material things to meet their most basic needs but may acquire things in an excessive, aggressive or compulsive way. The term material things implies something that can be purchased and owned. This includes large scale things such as land and smaller things such as clothing. Material things can be contrasted with intangible things, that also fill human needs. The following are common examples of material things.

Air Conditioners	Air Purifiers
Antiques & Antiquities	Appliances
Beds & Bedding	Beverages
Books	Boxes
Cameras	Capital
Cleaning Supplies	Clothing / Fashion
Coffee Machines	Collectables
Computing Infrastructure	Costumes
Cultural Items	Electronics
Energy Infrastructure	Eye Glasses
Facilities	Food
Footwear	Furniture
Game Systems	Gardening Supplies / Gardens
Gems	Glasses & Dishes
Handbags	Heaters
Hobby Supplies	Home Improvements
Home Renovations	Hospitals
Houses	Housewares
Housing Fixtures	Jewelry
Kitchen Equipment	Land
Land Improvements	Lighting
Luxury Goods	Magazines
Media Equipment	Medical Devices
Mobile Devices	Mugs & Cups
Musical Instruments	Paintings
Paper	Precious Metals
Sailboats	Sculptures
Ships	Souvenirs
Sporting Goods	Stationery
Televisions	Toiletries
Tools	Toys
Transportation Infrastructure	Vehicles
Water

Capital is productive property that produces future value such as a tractor. This can also be intangible such as software that has some productive function.

Materialism

Materialism is the philosophy that life is purely physical. This term is commonly applied to the view that the acquisition of material possessions and ownership rights is a competition that must be "won." Materialism of this sort creates excesses such as extreme wealth whereby individuals are compelled to continue to acquire ownership rights or consume material things at great scale. This has impacts such as environmental damage or economic exclusion whereby poverty may exist alongside extreme wealth.

Minimalism

Minimalism is the view that material things should be kept to a minimum. This is associated with harsh austerity and questionable claims such as the idea that you "don't need material things." Humans certainly require physical things for basic survival. It should also be noted that seemingly intangible things such as the internet actually depend on massive physical infrastructure such as the countless data centers that provide internet-based services.

Essential Complexity

Essential complexity is the idea that you make things as simple as they can be without reducing value such as quality of life. This is an pragmatic alternative to the excesses of materialism and harsh austerity of minimalism.

Intangible Things

Intangible things are things that humans value that have no direct physical form. In many cases, these are actually rooted in physical things. For example, a forest has a physical presence but experience of nature is intangible. It should be noted, that intangible things can also be pursued in an excessive, aggressive or compulsive way that can be problematic. For example, an individual can pursue intangible experiences such as video games or vacations with just as much energy as an individual who pursues the collection of physical things such as handbags or gold.

Summary

Material things are physical things that are valued by people. Humans have a remarkable talent for creating material things such as tools that have helped us to thrive as a species. It can be argued that this has been taken too far by modern societies whereby people can become obsessed with shopping and consumption of services.

Overview: Material Things
Type	Things
Definition	Physical things that have value and utility to people.
Related Concepts	Things » Human Needs » Intangible Things » Capital » Materialism » Philosophy »