Anarchy could solve this societal evil. It's all in the name; anarchy would be the absence of hierarchy. Materialism is fundamentally caused by class struggles. If social and economic classes disappeared, competition with material goods would also cease. The glaring problem I see, however, concerns the reception of such a change. People may be resistant to the idea that their wealth or social status no longer matters, even if that means no one else should go without it. This is a side effect of privilege. Materialism is an unfortunate product of living in a postmodern society, fueled by our need to cement our own identity after satisfying other basic needs. However, when this comes at the expense of those deprived of basic necessities, materialism becomes a sickening problem. Although anarchy can be an effective solution, it would be difficult to implement an anarchist system in order to change our society, as it would jeopardize many cultural and economic freedoms that many do not want.