IdealismIdealism 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 or truth is entirely a mental construct; or that ideas are the highest type of reality or have the greatest claim to being considered "real". Because there are different types of idealism, it is difficult to define the term uniformly.
RationalismEpistemological view centered on reasonRené DescartesBaruch SpinozaGottfried LeibnizIn philosophy, rationalism is the epistemological view that "regards reason as the chief source and test of knowledge" or "the position that reason has precedence over other ways of acquiring knowledge", often in contrast to other possible sources of knowledge such as faith, tradition, or sensory experience.
EpistemologyPhilosophical study of knowledge"Epistemic" redirects here. For the alternative name for cognitive science, see Epistemics.For the Keep of Kalessin album, see Epistemology (album).Not to be confused with Epidemiology.Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that examines the nature, origin, and limits of knowledge.
Egocentric presentismEgocentric presentism is a form of solipsism introduced by Caspar Hare in which other persons can be conscious, but their experiences are simply not present. Similarly, in related work, Hare argues for a theory of perspectival realism in which other perspectives do exist, but the present perspective has a defining intrinsic property.Perspectival realismIn Caspar Hare's theory of perspectival realism, there is a defining intrinsic property that the things that are in perceptual awareness have. Consider seeing object A but not object B. Of course, we can say that the visual experience of A is present to you, and no visual experience of B is present to you. But, it can be argued, this misses the fact that the visual experience of A is simply present, not relative to anything.
SkepticismSkepticism (US) or scepticism (UK) is a questioning attitude or doubt toward knowledge claims that are seen as mere belief or dogma. For example, if a person is skeptical about claims made by their government about an ongoing war then the person doubts that these claims are accurate. In such cases, skeptics normally recommend not disbelief but suspension of belief, i.e. maintaining a neutral attitude that neither affirms nor denies the claim.
RealityReality is the totality of existence or what all existing entities have in common. It is often contrasted with appearance, opposing what is with what seems to be, although the accuracy and fundamentality of this contrast are disputed. Various criteria for distinguishing real from unreal entities have been proposed, including causal powers, mind-independence, and being non-illusory.
AgnosticismDoubt about God's existenceNot to be confused with Gnosticism or Ignosticism.Agnosticism is a position that questions the existence of God or the divine. On a psychological level, it is a personal attitude that suspends judgment, withholding both belief and disbelief. In philosophy, agnosticism is often treated as a general claim stating that God's existence is unknown or unknowable.Problem of other mindsThe problem of other minds is an epistemological problem, and is traditionally stated as the following question: "Given that I can only observe the behavior of others, how can I know that others have minds?". The problem is that knowledge of other minds is always indirect.
KnowledgeAwareness of facts, or competencyThe owl of Athena, a symbol of knowledge in the Western worldKnowledge is an awareness of facts (descriptive knowledge), a familiarity with individuals and situations (knowledge by acquaintance), or a practical skill (procedural knowledge). Descriptive knowledge, also called propositional knowledge, is often characterized as true belief that is distinct from opinion or guesswork by virtue of justification.
MindThe mind is that which thinks, feels, perceives, imagines, remembers, and wills. It covers the totality of mental phenomena, including both conscious processes, through which an individual is aware of external and internal circumstances, and unconscious processes, which can influence an individual without intention or awareness. The mind plays a central role in most aspects of human life, but its exact nature is disputed.
PhilosophyStudy of general and fundamental questionsThe statue The Thinker by Auguste Rodin is a symbol of philosophical thought.
Cogito, ergo sumThe Latin cogito, ergo sum, usually translated into English as "I think, therefore I am", is the "first principle" of the philosophy of the French scientist and philosopher René Descartes. He originally published it in French as je pense, donc je suis in his 1637 Discourse on the Method, so as to reach a wider audience than Latin would have allowed.
solipsismRelated word or term.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.