He philosophical realism it is a current with several lines of thought that affirms that objects exist independently of the observer. Although the realists looked for references in the ancient Greek philosophers, the doctrine appears in the Middle Ages.
At that time they sought to differentiate themselves from the so-called nominalists, who did not believe in the existence of universal concepts.
Plato, one of the philosophers taken as reference in philosophical realism
For example, they claimed that the term"table"refers to many different objects that only have the name in common.
That is, there were no so-called"universals", which would be the set of all those objects that are known with a single denomination.
As for the Greek referents previously discussed, the realists named philosophers such as Democritus -the oldest among them-, Plato and Aristotle.
In this way, the concept of Platonic realism was discussed, which believed in universal concepts. Likewise, it was considered that Aristotle practiced the so-called moderate realism.
Apart from the moderate, other branches coexist within philosophical realism, such as the naive, the critical or the natural.
One of the practical developments of this philosophy has been in the field of education. Realism in pedagogy tries to establish teaching methods different from the prevailing constructivism in the last decades.
Philosophical realism
One of the main topics that philosophy has dealt with since its inception is the existence and how the human being perceives it.
There are many schools with different theories: from idealism to instrumentalism, passing through realism.
The fundamental difference between these theories is how they conceive ontology (if the world external to man exists independently) and gnoseology (if that external world can be known).
Realism aims to answer these questions and does so in a way far removed from the philosophers who put forward the idea of objects in front of their real existence, and those who believe that matter is non-existent if the human being does not perceive
To summarize the content of realistic thought, it can be said that it is the philosophical current that believes that all material objects have their own existence, regardless of their relationship to man.
characteristics
The fundamental points to understand philosophical realism are contained in the maxim that objects are real beyond any person observing them. And the human being knows that reality through his senses.
Regarding the field of knowledge, an important issue in this current, it is established that the individual is passive.
This implies that each person is a kind of empty vessel that is filled with knowledge. The important thing is what is learned, not the circumstances of the people.
History of philosophical realism
Although, as a current of thought, appears in the Middle Ages, the philosophers were based on some authors of Greek philosophy.
These authors had already begun to consider these dilemmas and left their teachings on the subject.
Plato, Democritus and Aristotle
Although many authors do not agree with the presence of Plato in realism, his philosophy was part of the beginning of this trend in the Middle Ages.
At that time one begins to speak about Platonic realism, which affirms the real existence of universals.
To give an example to clarify the idea, the name"chair"refers to a kind of general nature of this piece of furniture.
Thus, the idea"chair"is independent of each particular chair. That"universal,"as Plato called these ideas, does have a metaphysical existence.
Democritus connects much better in realistic ideas, more specifically with the so-called critical realism.
This thinker, recognizing that objects exist by themselves, thinks that there are certain qualities that are contributed by each person to perceive them with their senses.
Finally, Aristotle disagrees with the thought of Democritus and points out that those properties that are perceived also exist independently of what the observer sees. It is about the so-called natural realism.
Middle Ages
It is in medieval philosophy when realism really appears, even if they picked up those classic contributions.
At that time the term was more similar to the one used by Plato in his writings and was born as a reaction to other thoughts, such as nominalism and conceptualism.
In this way, the philosophers of that time considered that the universals described by Plato were real but only in the mind, and that they are inspired by things that do exist.
19th century and modern age
After the Enlightenment and Romanticism, periods during which realism practically disappears replaced by idealists, philosophical realism reappears with force in the nineteenth century.
Realists affirm that only what we perceive and experience during life is real. The concept"reality"in the abstract does not exist for them, only the experience of the people.
Movements such as neorealism and the great strength that science acquires (scientific realism) make this current the most followed for a long time.
The 4 main branches of philosophical realism
As in all currents of thought, in philosophical realism different lines coexist with significant differences among themselves.
There have also been variations depending on the period, influenced by the historical context. These are some of the main ones, together with the most important thinkers:
Naive realism
This type of realism does not pose any question about knowledge. For followers of this current what is observed or perceived is what exists, including the particularities of each object.
Critical realism
Although it coincides in some things with the previous ones, it does not think that the reality is in its totality as the senses perceive it.
For them, each person contributes part of their subjectivity to each object. They emphasize authors like Roy Bhaskar or Rom Harré
Moderate realism
It is the one that prevails during the Middle Ages and, as explained previously, believes in the existence of universals, although not as something material, but as a mental concept.
As authors, we can name Sartre, Schopenhauer and, in some aspects, Saint Thomas Aquinas.
Scientific realism
In this type of realism what prevails is the importance of science to achieve knowledge.
Thus, science must be responsible for describing reality, which exists as something independent of the observations of each individual.
This is a more modern current than the others and can be highlighted by philosophers like Mario Bunge or the Finnish Ilkka Niiniluoto.
Philosophical realism and education
One of the practical fields in which philosophical realism has been most treated is in pedagogy.
In the search for the best educational system possible, we have tried to use this current of thought so that young people can learn better.
In the lessons based on realism the important thing stops being the student and becomes completely the subject to be taught.
The whole weight of the process falls on the teacher, who must explain to his pupils the truths that science has established; that is, all reality.
The student is a kind of empty jar that must be completed with objective knowledge. It does not take into account the personal characteristics of each one, so it is not an individualized teaching.
References
- Webscolar Philosophical realism. Retrieved from webscolar.com
- Filosofia.org. Medieval realism. Obtained from filosofia.org
- Maris Vázquez, Stella. The Philosophy of Education. Retrieved from ciafic.edu.ar
- Philosophy Basics Realism Retrieved from philosophybasics.com
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Realism Retrieved from plato.stanford.edu
- Information Philosopher. Realism Retrieved from informationphilosopher.com
- Philosophy Terms. Realism Retrieved from philosophyterms.com
- Foundations of American Education. Philosophies of education. Retrieved from handpfoundationsofamericaneducation.blogspot.com.es