Realism and Idealism in Philosophy
Realism
Realism is a philosophical orientation asserting that reality exists independently of the mind. Realists believe that material things are real and exist independently of thought. They hold that knowledge corresponds to this material reality as it is, setting aside subjective interpretations.
Radical Realism
Radical Realism believes that knowledge is an exact copy of reality, and that we know the world exactly as it is.
Moderate Realism
Moderate Realism is a stance which believes that objective reality exists and that we are capable of knowing it, but our knowledge is not an exact copy of reality. We do not know things exactly as they are, but rather through our concepts, experiences, and capabilities. For example, a radical realist might see knowledge as like a photo, while a moderate realist sees it as like a drawing (not exactly like reality). Moderate realism also takes into account the change in knowledge over time.
Idealism
Idealism is a philosophical orientation defending the view that we do not know reality as it is, but rather as a representation formed in the mind of the subject. This representation of reality is what our thinking constructs.
Idealists believe there is no reality independent of the mind of the knowing subject. For these thinkers, we can only be sure of the existence of our own thinking. Idealism holds that knowledge, and in some cases, existence itself, is ideal (dependent on the mind). When the subject interacts with objects, they are known as representations of reality. Idealism focuses on the subject, not the object.
Radical Idealism
Radical Idealism defends the position that all reality is ideal, an intelligible world of thought linked to the subject. For radical idealists, reality is thought; it is only a set of ideas in the minds of thinking individuals. Radical idealists apply idealism not only to knowledge but to reality itself, sometimes leading to a defense of spiritualism.
Moderate Idealism
Moderate Idealism is a stance that does not deny the existence of material reality. However, moderate idealists believe that knowledge of reality is ideal, a representation formed in the mind of the individual. Therefore, they believe we can only know what is in our thoughts, because knowledge is a subjective representation that transforms reality. We know our image of the real world.
Philosophical Perspectives on Knowledge
One of the fundamental issues of philosophy is knowledge. Within this theme, philosophy attempts to analyze many different questions, but the basic question is to clarify: What is knowing?
Knowing is an activity of human beings, which involves assimilating and understanding reality using one’s own abilities, such as reason and sensory perception. It is trying to understand the world around us. This activity helps human beings transform reality, adapting it to their needs and way of life, effectively humanizing it.
The result of this activity is knowledge. Knowledge is a set of mental representations that the subject forms about reality. It involves trying to reason about and sense the world around us.