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Materialism vs Realism - What's the difference?

materialism | realism |

In philosophy terms the difference between materialism and realism

is that materialism is the philosophical belief that nothing exists beyond what is physical while realism is a doctrine that universals are real—they exist and are distinct from the particulars that instantiate them.

As nouns the difference between materialism and realism

is that materialism is constant concern over material possessions and wealth; a great or excessive regard for worldly concerns while realism is a concern for fact or reality and rejection of the impractical and visionary.

materialism

Noun

  • Constant concern over material possessions and wealth; a great or excessive regard for worldly concerns.
  • * Buckminster
  • The irregular fears of a future state had been supplanted by the materialism of Epicurus.
  • (philosophy) The philosophical belief that nothing exists beyond what is physical.
  • (obsolete, rare) Material substances in the aggregate; matter.
  • Synonyms

    * (philosophy) physicalism * (philosophy) philosophical materialism

    Antonyms

    * (philosophy) idealism

    Derived terms

    * philosophical materialism

    See also

    * idealism * physicalism

    realism

    Noun

  • A concern for fact or reality and rejection of the impractical and visionary
  • An artistic representation of reality as it is
  • (sciences) The viewpoint that an external reality exists independent of observation
  • (philosophy) A doctrine that universals are real—they exist and are distinct from the particulars that instantiate them
  • Antonyms

    * (doctrine concerning universals) nominalism

    See also

    * idealism