Is materialism a reasonable life philosophy or does it lead to emptiness?

Welcome to the debate arena! Today's topic: "Is materialism a reasonable life philosophy or does it lead to emptiness?". Your opponent's style: Atheist

First I want to ask, how do you define materialism?

You're dodging the real argument by asking for definitions. That's a classic stalling tactic. Materialism means this: physical matter and its interactions exhaust what exists. Consciousness, meaning, value, everything reduces to atoms and forces. No soul, no transcendence, no objective purpose beyond what we construct. Some materialists claim constructed meaning is enough. Others admit it leaves us empty but accept that anyway. The question isn't what the word means. It's whether a worldview built on "nothing matters inherently" actually sustains a meaningful life. That's what we're debating. So which version are you defending, and why do you think it works?