"Idealism in philosophy, also known as philosophical idealism or metaphysical idealism, is the set of metaphysical perspectives asserting that, most fundamentally, reality is equivalent to mind, spirit, or consciousness; that reality is entirely a mental construct; or that ideas are the highest form of reality or have the greatest claim to being considered 'real'."
The view that the physical world is a product of the mind or consciousness.
Ontology: The branch of metaphysics that studies the nature of existence or being.
Epistemology: The branch of metaphysics that studies the nature of knowledge and beliefs.
Idealism: The metaphysical theory that holds that reality is fundamentally mental, or that the material world is an illusion.
Perception: The ability of the mind to interpret and understand information from the senses.
Consciousness: The subjective experience of being aware of oneself and one's surroundings.
Subjectivity: The quality of being based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions.
Objectivity: The quality of being based on facts and free from personal biases or emotions.
Reality: The sum total of what exists, not only what is observable or measurable.
Dualism: The metaphysical theory that holds that reality is fundamentally divided into two distinct substances, one physical and the other mental.
Monism: The metaphysical theory that holds that reality is fundamentally of one kind.
Materialism: The metaphysical theory that holds that reality is fundamentally material or physical, and that mental states are reducible to physical states.
Mind-Body problem: The philosophical problem of understanding the relationship between mental and physical states.
Solipsism: The metaphysical theory that holds that only the self exists or is knowable.
Transcendentalism: The philosophical movement that emphasizes spiritual or mystical realities beyond the world of the senses.
Cosmology: The branch of metaphysics that studies the origin, structure, and evolution of the universe.
Teleology: The study of purpose or design, particularly in natural systems.
Existentialism: The philosophical movement that emphasizes individual freedom, choice, and responsibility.
Nihilism: The philosophical view that life has no inherent meaning or value.
Deontology: The moral theory that certain actions are inherently right or wrong, regardless of the consequences.
Utilitarianism: The moral theory that actions should be judged by their ability to produce the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people.
Ethics: The branch of philosophy that studies morality and value judgments.
Aesthetics: The branch of philosophy that studies beauty and art.
Phenomenology: The philosophical approach that emphasizes the study of subjective experience.
Hermeneutics: The branch of philosophy concerned with the interpretation of texts and symbols.
Post-modernism: The philosophical movement that challenges traditional ideas about truth, objective reality, and human nature.
Absolute Idealism: This type of Metaphysical Idealism asserts that the material world is a manifestation of an overarching absolute consciousness or spirit.
Subjective Idealism: This type of Metaphysical Idealism argues that only mental experiences or perceptions qualify as reality, with any sense of an external physical world being illusory.
Transcendental Idealism: This is a Kantian perspective on Metaphysical Idealism which maintains that the mind actively structures reality instead of passively observing it.
Objective Idealism: This approach advances the idea that consciousness is a necessary part of the fabric of reality, and that the material world is, in fact, a manifestation of it.
Platonic Idealism: This form of Metaphysical Idealism holds that the qualities and forms of objects in our world exist within a higher realm of immortal and perfect Forms.
Absolute Monism: This type of Metaphysical Idealism argues that reality is ultimately one and indivisible, with all phenomena and distinctions being illusions of human perception.
Buddhist Idealism: An offshoot of Absolute Monism, this branch of Metaphysical Idealism posits that reality is composed of experiential elements or dharmas, which can be observed through meditation and introspection.
Process Idealism: This approach asserts that reality is in a state of perpetual flux or change, and that the processes of growth and evolution are the ultimate expressions of truth.
Personal Idealism: This form of Metaphysical Idealism posits that individuals each possess a distinct mind or spirit, which creates and shapes their own personal reality.
Hegelian Idealism: This perspective maintains that reality is continuously striving to progress and evolve toward an ultimate, perfect state, with human consciousness being a crucial driver of this process.
"The radical latter view is often first credited to the Ancient Greek philosopher Plato as part of a theory now known as Platonic idealism."
"Besides in Western philosophy, idealism also appears in some Indian philosophy, namely in Vedanta, one of the orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy, and in some streams of Buddhism."
"Epistemologically, idealism is accompanied by philosophical skepticism about the possibility of knowing the existence of any thing that is independent of the human mind."
"Ontologically, idealism rejects the perspectives of physicalism and dualism because neither perspective gives ontological priority to the human mind. In contrast to materialism, idealism asserts the primacy of consciousness as the origin and prerequisite of phenomena."
"George Berkeley's subjective idealism proposed that physical objects exist only to the extent that one perceives them and thus the physical world does not exist outside of a mind."
"Immanuel Kant's transcendental idealism proposes that objects of experience rely upon their existence in the human mind that perceives the objects."
"Kant's philosophy would be reinterpreted by Arthur Schopenhauer and by German idealists such as J.G. Fichte, F.W.J. Schelling, and G.W.F. Hegel. This tradition, which emphasized the mental or 'ideal' character of all phenomena..."
"Indian philosophers proposed the earliest arguments that the world of experience is grounded in the mind's perception of the physical world."
"Hindu idealism gave panentheistic arguments for the existence of an all-pervading consciousness as the true nature, as the true grounding of reality."
"The Yogācāra school, which arose within Mahayana Buddhism in India in the 4th century AD, based its 'mind-only' idealism to a greater extent on phenomenological analyses of personal experience."
"The most influential critics of both epistemological and ontological idealism were G. E. Moore and Bertrand Russell, but its critics also included the new realists."
"The attacks by Moore and Russell were so influential that even more than 100 years later 'any acknowledgment of idealistic tendencies is viewed in the English-speaking world with reservation.'"
"However, many aspects and paradigms of idealism did still have a large influence on subsequent philosophy."