Materialism and idealism - opposite ways of understanding any issue
Materialism and idealism are not two abstract theories about the nature of the world, few relating to ordinary people engaged in practical activities. They are opposite ways to understand any issue, and, therefore, they express a different approach to these issues in practice and lead to the most different conclusions from practical activities.
It is also impossible to use the terms "materialism" and "idealism", as some do it, to express opposite views in the region of morality; Idealism - as an expression of sublime, materialism - as an expression of lowland and egoistic. If we eat these terms in this way, we will never understand the opposites between idealistic and materialistic philosophical views; Because this method of expression, as Engels says, means nothing but the "unforgivable concession to the Filiuterian prejudice against the name" materialism ", prejudice, who has rooted from the Filter under the influence of a long-term popovskaya slander for materialism. Under materialism, Filiuter understands gluttony, drunkenness, vanity and carnal pleasures, greed for money, misfortune, greed, chase for the launch and stock swallow, in short, all those dirty vices, which he himself is in secret. Idealism means his faith in virtue, love for all mankind and in general faith in " best world", About which he shouts before others."
Before trying to give general definition Materialism and idealism, consider how these two ways of understanding things are expressed in relation to some simple and familiar issues. This will help us understand the distinction between materialistic and idealistic views.
For example, take such a natural and familiar phenomenon as a thunderstorm. What causes thunderstorms?
The idealistic way of understanding this issue is a thunderstorm. There is a consequence of the wrath of God, who accepted, will no longer be thunder and zipper on something inhibited in something.
Materialistic way to understand thunderstorms - thunderstorms There is an action of the natural forces of nature. For example, the ancient materialists believed that thunderstorms are caused by a blow to each other of material particles in the clouds. And the point is not that this is an explanation, as we now understand, false, but in the fact that it was an attempt to materialistic, unlike the idealistic, explanation. Today, thanks to science, we know about thunderstorms much more, but also not all to consider this natural phenomenon well-studied. Modern science It believes that the reasons of the thunderstorm are thunderstorm clouds, which are formed in the atmosphere under certain conditions under the action of different air flows. Inside these clouds or between the cloud and the earth's surface there are electrical discharges - lightning, accompanied by thunder, which so frightened the ancient people.
We see that an idealistic explanation is trying to associate an explanatory phenomenon with some spiritual reason - in this case with the anger of the Lord, and the materialistic explanation connects the phenomenon under consideration with material causes.
Currently, most people agree to take a materialistic explanation of the reasons for thunderstorms. Modern science stepped far ahead, to a large extent, withdrawing the idealistic component from the worldview of people. But, unfortunately, this concerns not all areas public Life of people.
Take another example, this time from public life. Why are there rich and poor? This is a question that worries many.
The most frank idealists respond to this question simply that, they say, God created people with such. The will of God is such that some should be rich, other poor.
But other explanations are much more common, too idealistic, only thinner. For example, those claiming that some people are rich because they are diligent, prudent and economical, while others are therefore poor, that they are wasteful and stupid. People who adhere to this kind of explanation say that all this is a consequence of the eternal "human nature". The nature of man and society, in their opinion, is that it is necessary to distinguish between poor and rich.
An explanation from the same idealistic "opera" that they say, the poor is because they are poorly worked, and the rich because they are rich that they work "not to twist hands." The reason, allegedly, is still the same - a purely idealistic nature - congenital quality of a person - in some laziness, in others - hardworking, which initially determine human wealth.
As in the case of an explanation of the reasons for thunderstorms, and in the case of explaining the reasons for the existence of poor and rich, idealist is looking for some spiritual cause - if not in the will of God, the Divine Mind, then in certain innate features of the human mind or character.
Materialist, on the contrary, is looking for the cause of the existence of rich and poor in the material, economic conditions of public life. He sees the reason for the separation of society on the rich and poor in the method of production of material goods for life, when one part of people owns land and other means of production, while another part of people should work on them. And as if stubbornly, the poor did not work, and no matter how they savage, they will still remain poor, while they are rich and rich, thanks to the products of the poor.
Thus, we see that the difference between materialistic and idealistic glances can be very important, and not only in theoretical, but also in the very practical sense.
So, for example, a materialistic idea of \u200b\u200bthunderstorms helps us take precautions against them, such as a device on the buildings of grommets. But if we explain the thunderstorms idealist, then everything we can do to avoid them is to pray to God. Further, if we agree with an idealistic explanation of the existence of the poor and rich, then we don't have anything to accept the existing position of things, to accept it - to rejoice in our dominant position and indulge in moderate charity, if we are rich, and curse your destiny and ask for alms, if We are poor. On the contrary, armed with a materialistic understanding of society, we can find a way to change society, and, consequently, and their own life.
And although some of the people in the capitalist society are interested in an idealistic explanation of what is happening, in the interests of a huge majority of other people, it is imperative to learn how to explain the phenomena and events materialistically to understand them and get the opportunity to change their lives.
Engels wrote about idealism and materialism: "The Great Main Question of All, especially the latest, philosophy has a question about the relationship of thinking to being ... The philosophers were divided into two large camps in accordance with how they answered this question. Those who argued that the spirit existed before nature, and which, consequently, ultimately, anyway recognized the creation of the world ... amounted to an idealistic camp. The same, which was considered the main principle of nature, joined various schools of materialism. "
Idealism - this is a way of explanation, which considers the spiritual preceding material, while materialism He considers the material preceding spiritual. Idealism believes that all material allegedly depends on something spiritual and determined by them, while materialism claims that everything spiritual depends on the material and is determined by it.
Materialistic way of understanding things, events and their relationships the oppositean idealistic way to understand. And this is their fundamental difference manifests itself in both the general philosophical ideas about the world as a whole and in ideas about individual things and events.
Our philosophy is called dialectical materialism, says Stalin, "Because his approach to nature phenomena, his method of studying nature phenomena, its method of knowledge of these phenomena is dialectical, and its interpretation of nature phenomena, its understanding of the phenomena of nature, its theory - materialistic." At the same time, we must understand that materialism is not a dogmatic system, it is a way of understanding and explaining any issue.
Idealism
At its core, idealism is religion, theology. "Idealism is Popovshchyna," said Lenin. Every idealism is a continuation of a religious approach to solving any question, even if separate idealistic theories and dropped their religious shell. Idealism can not be separated from superstition, faith in supernatural, mysterious and unrecognizable.
On the contrary, materialism seeks to explain these issues based on the material world, with the help of factors that can be checked, understanding and controlled.
The roots of the idealistic idea of \u200b\u200bthings, therefore, the same as religion.
Representations of supernatural and religious ideas are obliged to their origin of the helplessness of people before the forces of nature and their ignorance. Forces that people cannot understand will personify in their presentation with certain spirits or gods, i.e. with supernatural beings that cannot be learned.
For example, ignorance by people of valid reasons for such a frightening phenomenon, as a thunderstorm, led to the fact that their reasons were explained by the fantastically anger of the gods.
For the same reason, such an important phenomenon was attributed to the activities of the spirits, as the cultivation of grain yields - people began to believe that the grain grows under the action of a special spiritual force concluded in it.
From the most primitive times, people personified in a similar way of the Forces of Nature. With the occurrence of class society, when actions, the actions of people began to be called dominant over them and incomprehensible social relations for them, people came up with new supernatural forces. These new supernatural forces appeared duplication of the existing social order. People came up with gods towering over all humanity, just as kings and aristocrats rose over the simple people.
Any religion and every idealism contain a similar doubling Mira. They are dualistic and invent the perfect, or supernatural, peace, dominant over the real, material, peace.
Very characteristic of idealism such opposition as a soul and body; God and man; Heavenly Kingdom and the Kingdom of Earth; The ideas assimilated by the mind and ideas and the world of material reality perceived by the senses.
For idealism, there is always the highest, allegedly more realistic intangible world, which precedes the material world, is its final source and cause and to which the material world is subordinated. For materialism, on the contrary, there is only one world - the material world, the one in which we live.
Under idealism In philosophy, we understand any doctrine that believes that outside material reality there is a different, higher, spiritual reality, based on which material reality should be explained.
Some varieties of modern idealistic philosophy
Almost three hundred years ago in philosophy appeared and still there is one direction that received the name "Subjective idealism". This philosophy teaches that the material world does not exist at all. Nothing exists, except for sensations and ideas in our consciousness, and no external material reality corresponds to them.
This kind of idealism has now become very fashionable. He is trying to give himself for a modern "scientific" worldview, which allegedly "overcame the limit of Marxism" and is more "democratic", since each point of view considers the right one.
Without recognizing the existence of external material reality, subjective idealism, nominated as a learning about knowledge, denies that we can know anything about objective reality outside us, and argues, for example, that "each of us has its own truth" that the absolute truth There is no, and truth as many people.
Similarly, one of the ideologists of Popovshchina today in Russia, A.Dugin, for example, declares that there are no facts at all, but there are only many of our ideas about them.
When capitalism was still progressive strength, bourgeois thinkers believed that it was possible to even more and more know the real world and, thus, control the forces of nature and endlessly improving the situation of humanity. Now, in the modern stage of capitalism, they began to argue that the real world I unmember me that this is the area of \u200b\u200bthe mysterious forces overlooking our understanding. It is not difficult to see that the fashion for such teachings is only a symptom of the decomposition of capitalism, the harbinger of his final death.
We have already said that, as their basis, idealism is always a faith in two worlds, perfect and material, and the ideal world is primary and stands above the material. Materialism, on the contrary, knows only one world, the material world, and refuses to invent the second, imaginary, the highest ideal world.
Materialism and idealism are irreconcilable. But this does not prevent many bourgeois philosophers trying to reconcile and combine them. In philosophy there are many different attempts to find a compromise between idealism and materialism.
One of these attempts to compromise is well known under the name "Dualism". This philosophy, like any idealistic philosophy, believes that there is a spiritual, which is independently and different from the material, but in contrast to idealism, it is trying to approve the equivalence of spiritual and material.
So, she interprets the world of inanimate matter purely materialistically: in it, from its point of view, only natural forces act, and spiritual factors are and acting for its limit and have nothing to do with him. But when it comes to an explanation of consciousness and society, here, this philosophy says, already the region of the activity of the Spirit. In public life, she approves, it is necessary to look for an idealistic, not materialistic explanation.
This compromise between materialism and idealism, therefore, is equal in essence that such philosophers and their supporters remain idealists, since in all the most important issues About man, society and history they continue to adhere to idealistic views as opposed to materialistic.
Such duality of the worldview in the bourgeois society is peculiar, for example, technical intelligentsia. Profession makes her representatives being materialists, but only at work. In matters relating to society, these people often remain idealists.
Another compromise philosophy is known under the name "Realism". In its modern form, it arose as opposed to subjective idealism.
"Realistic" philosophers say that external, material, the world really exists regardless of our perceptions and in some way it is reflected in our sensations. This "realists" agree with the materialists as opposed to subjective idealism. In fact, it is impossible to be a materialist, not being a consistent realist in the matter of the real existence of the material world. But to argue only that the outside world exists regardless of our perception, does not mean to be materialist. For example, the famous Catholic philosopher of the Middle Ages of Thomas Aquinas in this sense was "realistic". To this day, most Catholic theologists consider heresy to be heresy, except for "realism" in philosophy. But at the same time, they argue that the material world, which really exists, was created by God and is supported and managed all the time by the power of God, spiritual force. Therefore, they are actually idealists, but not the materialists at all.
Moreover, the word "realism" bourgeois philosophers are greatly abused. It is believed as you recognize that something or another is "real", you can call ourselves "realist". So, some philosophers, believing that real is not only the world of material things, but that there is also out of space and time the real world of "universal", the abstract entities of things, also call themselves "realists". Others argue that although there is nothing but there is nothing but perceptions in our consciousness, but since these perceptions are real, then they are also "realists". All this only shows that other philosophers are very inventive in the use of words.
The main provisions of idealism and materialism and their opposite
The main provisions put forward by all form idealism can be formulated as follows:
1. Idealism argues that the material world depends on the spiritual one.
2. Idealism claims that the spirit, or mind, or the idea can and really exists separately from matter. (The most extreme form of this statement is subjective idealism, which believes that the matter does not exist at all and is a pure illusion.)
3. Idealism argues that there is a region of mysterious and unknowable, "over", or "outside", or "behind" what it can be established and becoming familiar with the perceptions, experience and science.
In turn, The main provisions of materialismyou can describe like this:
1. Materialism teaches that the world is material on its very nature that everything that exists on the basis of material reasons arises and develops in accordance with the laws of the movement of matter.
2. Materialism teaches that matter is an objective reality that exists outside and independently of consciousness, and that the spiritual exists not at all separately from the material, but everything is spiritual or conscious, is a product of material processes.
3. Materialism teaches that the world and its laws are fully learned and that, although much can be unknown, there is nothing that it is impossible to know.
As you can see, all the main provisions of materialism are completely opposite to the main provisions of idealism. The opposite of materialism is idealism, pronounced now in the most common form, is not the opposite of abstract theories about the nature of the world, but the opposite between different ways of understanding and interpretation of any issue. That is why it has such important.
It should be indicated here that the Marxist-Leninist philosophy (the philosophy of the working class) is characterized by exceptionally consistent materialism in decision allquestions by the fact that she does no concession idealism.
Consider some of the most common ways of manifestation of the opposite between materialism and idealism.
For example, idealists convince us not to rely "too" to science. They assure that the most significant truths lie outside the achievements of science. Therefore, they convince us not to think about things on the basis of the evidence, experience, practitioners, and take them on faith from those that claim that they know better and have a certain "higher" source of information.
Thus, idealism is best friend and reliable support of any form of reaction propaganda. This is the philosophy of capitalist media and mass media. She patronizes the superstitions of all kinds, prevents us from thinking to themselves and scientifically approach moral and social problems.
Further, idealism argues that the most important thing for all of us is the inner life of the soul. He convinces us that we will never solve our human problems anyiccable, as a certain inner revival. This, by the way, the favorite theme of speeches filed people. But such ideas meet understanding and sympathy and in the workers. They convince us not to fight for improving the conditions of their lives, but to improve their soul and their body.
In our society, such ideology is also not uncommon. Our readers also probably met all these reasoning that "the perfect society consists of perfect people, which means you need to start with self-improvement, to improve yourself, for these we will improve all society." All these psychological trainings and public organizationsspeaking for a "healthy lifestyle" (zozh), all this is nothing but a hidden propaganda of idealism, designed to distract Russian workers from problems modern lifeshowing them the false way of fighting them. Bourgeois ideologues, actively spreading such concepts, do not tell us that the best way His material and moral improvement is to join the fighting socialism, for the reorganization of an existing society.
Further, the idealistic approach is often found among those who sincerely seeks socialism. For example, some of our citizens consider the main defect capitalism that during capitalism goods are distributed unfairly and that if we only could force everyone, including capitalists, adopt new principles of justice and law, it would be possible to commit all the negatives of capitalism - all people were Would be fed and happy. Socialism for them is nothing but exercising abstract ideas of justice. At the heart of this position lies a false idealistic concept that the alleged ideas of which we adhere to, determine the image of our life and the way of organizing our society. They forget to look for material reasons that are the root and causes of all public phenomena. After all, the method of distribution of products in the capitalist society, when one part of society enjoys wealth, while another and most of society lives in poverty - they define not ideas about the distribution of wealth, which people adhere to, and that material fact that this method of production is based on the operation of working capitalists. And while this method of production will exist, until then in our society, extremes will persist - wealth on one side and poverty to another, and the socialist ideas of justice will confront capitalist ideas of justice. Consequently, the task of all people who seek socialism is to organize the struggle of the working class against the capitalist class and bring it to the conquest of political power.
All these examples are convinced that idealism always serves as a reaction weapon And that if sincere fighters for socialism fall into the arms of idealism, they always and inevitably turn out to be influenced by bourgeois ideology. Throughout its history, idealism was weapons of depressing classes. Whatever excellent idealistic systems have been composed by philosophers, they have always been used to justify the domination of exploiters and deception to operated.
This does not mean that those or other truths were expressed under idealistic cover. Of course, they met and idealists. People often have their thoughts and aspirations in idealistic robes. But the idealistic form is always a hindrance, an obstacle in the expression of truth - the source of confusion and errors.
Yes, progressive movements in the past took an idealistic ideology and fought under her banner. But this speaks only about whether they either already then contained seeds of the future reaction, since they expressed the desire of a new exploitative class to seize power. For example, the great revolutionary movement of the English bourgeoisie XVII century. It passed under idealistic, religious slogans. But the same appeal to God, which justified Cromwell in the execution of the king, easily justified and suppress them a popular uprising.
Idealism is essentially conservative power - ideology that helps protect the existing position of things and conservation in the minds of people illusions about their actual position.
Any valid social progress is any increase in the productive forces and progress of science - it is necessary to generate materialism and supported by materialistic ideas. Therefore, the whole story of human thought was, in fact, the history of the struggle of materialism against idealism, the history of overcoming idealistic illusions and delusions.
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Largely depends on the wording of its main issue. The ideas about the content of such a question in philosophers vary.
The main question of philosophy
So, F. Bacon highlighted in philosophy as the main - The question of expanding human power over natureThanks to the knowledge of the phenomena of the surrounding world and the introduction of knowledge in practice.
R. Descarte and B. Spinosa as the main issue of philosophy allocated the question of the conquest of domination over the external nature and improvement of human nature.
K. A. Gelvetii The main issue considered the essence of human happiness.
J.-H. Rousseau such a question has reduced the question of the social inequality and ways to overcome it.
I. Kant believed in philosophy the question of how perhaps a priori knowledge is, that is, such knowledge that is produced by the Power Path, and I. G. Ficht This issue has reduced the subject of the principles of any knowledge.
For the famous Russian philosopher S. L. Frank, such a question sounded like this: what is a person and what is his true purpose, and the famous representative of French existentialism A. Kama believed that this capacity is the question of is there any life in order to be lived?
In modern domestic philosophical thought, many specialists are the mainstream of the relationship of thinking to being, consciousness to matter. Such a statement of the main issue of philosophy is reflected in the work of F. Engels "Ludwig Feyerbach and the end of the classical german philosophy". It noted in it: "The great main question is, especially the new philosophy, there is a question about the attitude of thinking to being," and further "the philosophers were divided into two large camps in accordance with how they answer this question", that is, on materialists and idealists. It is believed that the main issue in such a production has two parties. The first - is associated with the answer to the question of the fact that primary matter or consciousness, and the second side is associated with the answer to the question of the cognition of the world.
First, consider the question related to the first side of the main issue of philosophy.
Idealists
As for idealists, they recognize the primary idea, spirit, consciousness. They consider the material product of spiritual. However, the ratio of consciousness and matter by representatives of objective and subjective idealism is not the same. Objective and subjective idealism are two varieties of idealism. Representatives of objective idealism (Plato, V. G. Leibniz, G. V. F. Hegel, etc.), recognizing the reality of the world's existence, it is believed that in addition to the consciousness of the human, there is a "world of ideas", "world mind", i.e. Something that defines all material processes. Unlike this view, representatives of subjective idealism (D. Berkley, D. Yum, I. Kant, etc.) believe that the items that we see, touches and smell, perform combinations of our sensations. The consistent conduct of such a look leads to solipsis, i.e., to the recognition of a really existing only knowing the subject, which as it may be intended for reality.
Materialists
Materialists, on the contrary, defend the idea that the world is an objectively existing reality. Consciousness is considered to be derived, secondary to matter. Materialists stand on the positions of materialistic monism (from Greek Monos - one). This means that the only beginning of matter is recognized by matter. Consciousness is considered a product of highly organized matter - brain.
However, there are other philosophical views on the ratio of matter and consciousness. Some philosophers view matter and consciousness as two equivalent bases of all existing, independent of each other. P. Descart, F. Volter, I. Newton and others adhered to such views. They are called dualists (from Latin Dualis - dual) for recognition as equal to matter and consciousness (spirit).
Now find out how materialists and idealists decide the question related to the second side of the main issue of philosophy.
Materialists proceed from the fact that the world is known, our knowledge of him, proven by practice, is able to be reliable, and serve as the basis for the effective, expedient activity of people.
The idealists in solving the issue of the cognition of the world were divided into two groups. The subjective idealists doubt that the knowledge of the objective world is possible, and objective idealists, although they recognize the possibility of knowledge of the world, but put the cognitive abilities of a person dependent on God or otherworldly.
Philosophers who deny the possibility of knowledge of the world are called agnostics. The concessions of the agnosticism make representatives of subjective idealism, which doubt the possibilities of knowledge of the world or declare some areas of reality fundamentally unknowable.
The existence of two main directions in philosophy has social grounds or sources and gnoseological roots.
The social foundation of materialism can be considered the need for some sections of society that, when organizing and conducting practical activities, proceed from experience or rely on the achievements of science, and claims for the possibility of obtaining reliable knowledge of the studied phenomena of the world as a gosteological root.
The social grounds of idealism can be attributed to the undeveloped science, disbelief in its capabilities, disinterest in its development and use of the results of scientific research of certain social layers. To the gnoseological roots of idealism - the complexity of the process of knowledge, its contradiction, the possibility of the separation of our concepts from real reality, the construction of them in Absolut. V.I. Lenin wrote: "Straightness and one-sidedness, woodenness and ostenerity, subjectivism and subjective blindness ... (here) the gnoseological roots of idealism." The main source of idealism is to exaggerate the meaning of the ideal and in the smallest role of the material in the life of people. Idealism developed in the history of philosophy in close connection with religion. However, philosophical idealism differs from religion by following its evidence in the formation form, and religion, as noted earlier, is based on the recognition of an indisputable authority of faith in God.
Materialism and idealism are two currents in world philosophy. They are expressed in two different types of philosophizing. Each of these types of philosophizing has subtypes. For example, materialism performs in the form of natural materialism of ancient (heraclitis, democritus, epicuris, lucretrodi car), mechanical materialism (F. Bacon, T. Gobbs, D. Lokk, J. O. Lamemetri, K. A. Gelving, P. A . Golbach) and dialectical materialism (K. Marx, F. Engels, V. I. Lenin, G. V. Plekhanov, etc.). Idealism also contains two subtype of philosophizing in the form of objective idealism (Plato, Aristotle, V. G. Leibnits, V. F. Hegel) and subjective idealism (D. Berkley, D. Yum, I. Kant). In addition, within the framework of these subtypes of philosophizing, special schools can be allocated with the features of philosophizing. Materialism and idealism in philosophy are in continuous development. There is a controversy between representatives of the other and the other, contributing to the development of philosophizing and philosophical knowledge.
Rationalism
Rationalism is rationalism as a widespread variety of philosophizing which means recognizing the value and the authority of the mind in knowledge and in the organization of practice. Rationalism can be inherent in both materialism and idealism. As part of materialism, rationalism allows for a reasonable explanation of all processes in the world. Philosophers standing in the positions of materialistic rationalism (K. A. Gelving, P. A. Golbach, K. Marx, F. Engels, V. I. Lenin and others), believe that people, relying on the consciousness formed in them in The course of interaction with nature is capable of carrying out cognitive activityThrough which it is possible to achieve adequate awareness of the objects of the world around them and on this basis is rationally, that is, reasonably, optimally, economically organize the practice. Idealistic rationalism, typical representatives of which are F. Akvinsky, V. G. Leibniz and G. V. F. Hegel, adhere to the view that the basis of all the existing is the mind that rules to everyone. At the same time, it is believed that the human consciousness, which is the generation of the highest divine mind, can comprehend the world and provide an opportunity for a person to act successfully.
Irrationalism
The opposite of rationalism is irrationalism,which, bringing the meaning of reason, denies the legitimacy of support on it both in knowledge and practice. The basis of the interaction of a person with the world of irrationalists is called revelation, instinct, faith, unconscious.
In addition to these grounds, the nature of philosophizing can be mediated by such principles as monism, dualism and pluralism. Monism can be both idealistic and materialistic. Those who adhere to idealistic monizim initially consider God, or the world mind, the world will. According to materialistic monism, the matter is initially performed as initially. Montizma is opposed to dualism, recognizing the equality of the two principles (spirit) and matter.
Philosophers who consider the most equal different points Vision, called pluralists (from Latin pluralis - multiple). The assumption of pluralism in the presence of a high philosophical culture in the face of uncertainty of social goals and tasks generates the possibility of open discussion of problems, lays the ground for controversy between those who defend different, but legitimate on this moment Public life idea, hypothesis and construction. At the same time, the formal and rigid use of this principle can create the soil for equalization in the rights of true, genuine scientific and false opinions and thereby make it difficult to philosophizing as the process of finding truth.
The variety of types and forms of philosophizing, developing on the basis of a combination of different approaches to understanding the phenomena and the processes of the surrounding world, helps to find answers to numerous issues of an ideological, methodological and practical nature. This turns philosophy into a knowledge system, useful for solving both public and individual personal tasks. The acquisition of this status philosophy makes it necessary to study by each educated person. For his life success of the intellectual is problematic without adopting to it.
Photographer Andrea Effulge.
Under idealistic philosophy, all directions and concepts within this science are understood, tracing idealism as a basis. Therefore, in order to understand the essence of these directions and concepts in philosophy, idealism should be introduced with the concept itself, as well as its consequences.
Idealism (from the Greek IDEA is an idea) - the fundamental principle in science, approving the primacy of the immoderial (ideal) in front of the material, if narrowly. As well as the primacy of a disembodied, insensible, subjective, estimated and non-spatial in any phenomena and processes over the material, which is inherent in objectivity, physicalness, sensual feeling without estimates and the presence of space, if we consider the concept widely. That is, it is largely true that idealism is an alternative to materialism, and in cosmogonic (origin of the Universe) issues of these concepts are often considered by antagonists. Thus, it is easy to understand that idealistic philosophy fully includes all the properties of idealism.
It is important to understand that the term idealism does not need to mix idealist with the concept, since the latter is formed from the term "ideal", which in turn does not synonym the concept of "idea".
The idealistic philosophy itself is divided into two directions, divergent in the fundamental investigation, despite consent in other opinions. These directions: objective and subjective idealism, that is, subjectively and objectively idealistic philosophy. The first, objective direction, declares that immoderial, that is, ideal, except and independently of any consciousness, the second, subjective direction, argues that only in any consciousness may exist perfect reality. It is important to understand that the "ideal" reality is not synonymous with the "perfect", understanding of the real meaning of terms and is distinguished by scientific perception from the philistine.
One of the first idealistic philosophy problems, who is known for the story was Plato. This thinker had idealism in the dualistic concern of the perception of the world with reason. The first part is the perception and awareness of the true essence of things - their ideas that are eternal and accurate, and the second part is the feeling of things in their material form, which is multifaceted, deceptive and temporary.
The opinion of various religious thinkers - supporters of religious and idealistic philosophy We will lower, as a deliberately anti-scientific or inseparable, where, for example, the idea was understood as an eternal and accurate image of any thing, phenomena or process, as a true idea in God's mind. To such supporters of the idealistic direction in philosophy, George Berkeley, who called the supporters of materialism at best by vulgar atheists, and even in the worst sectors of atheism.
The new word in idealistic philosophy, however, as in many areas of this science, said Immanuel Kant, who his transcendent has limited the knowledge of the ideas and an ideal consciousness as a phenomenon starting to this with difficulty. That is, Kant spent straight parallels of his concept with formal idealism.
Kant as the founder of the German classical philosophy Motivated the emergence of other types of idealism, which formulated the thinkers of his era. For example, the absolute idealism of Hegel, objective sillying, and subjective phicht. The key distinguishing of these views within the idealistic philosophy is that Kant argued the completeness and completion of the world in itself, but the unrecognizability of some of its parts for the mind. Fichte called reality (Wednesday) beyond the mind of a subject limited for the latter and therefore provoking the mind to reflexion and ordering the internal (perfect) world. Shelling believed that the border between the ideal (reason) and the material is the identity of any object and the subject, that is, a secret primary priority. And Hegel with its absolute idealism abolished the material reality, all the role of stateing the ideal, which was revealed in the first one. That is, the idealistic philosophy of Hegel took idealism the role of the absolute process, where the immanent statement of any ideas is dialectically proceed. Yes, for understanding, this subject is quite complicated, but for deep consideration it is necessary to closely meet the works of each of the representatives of idealistic philosophy. The latter in the framework of the article is, the reader, I can not provide for obvious reasons.
George Hegel not only made a significant contribution to the improvement of philosophy, but also formulated a new type of idealism - absolute. The main criticism of absoluteness in idealistic philosophy is to take it from reality, that is, it is good in theoretical and abstract construction of all the well-known conditions and values, but it is difficult to actually apply in the life of a reasonable creature. In the latter, the boundary of the research of thought science was discovered, where she ceased to be practically useful; At least at this stage of the evolution of the mind.
Modern idealistic philosophy marked himself in that it no longer considers idealism as a materialism antagonist, but only as its alternative, at the same time, opposing the first realism. In general, there is a steady tendency to mask the idealistic philosophy of its fundamental principle based on idealism, for ambiguous or neutral concepts, names and turnover. But despite this, the ideological modality of any concepts and directions in modern philosophy, not related to materialism or realism, is indisputable.
Idealism - the opposite materialism The philosophical direction that recognizes the primacy of the Spirit, consciousness and considers matter, nature as something secondary, derivative.
This incorrect, perverted representation of the world has its own epheological (cognitive theoretical) and class (social) roots. The gnoseological roots of idealism are to absolutize, the exaggeration of certain moments of knowledge. The possibility of such exaggeration is due to the complexity, contradictoryness of the cognitive process. In order to penetrate into the depths of things, a person creates abstraction, concepts, with which the properties of objects are trying in general, in the separation from the items themselves. So it is not difficult to turn these general concepts In something absolutely independent, make them the basis natural phenomena. Another epistemological root of idealism is the false interpretation of the fact that the objects and phenomena of the objective world are reflected in consciousness in a subjective, ideal form. Reflecting in a man's head, they become part of its inner world. Exaggerating the moment of subjectivity of our knowledge and ignoring the fact that it is a reflection of reality, I. identifies the external world with the inner world of man, and material objects and phenomena - with its sensations, experiences.
The social roots of idealism are the separation of spiritual (mental) labor from the material (physical) (Mental and physical work), Class bundle of society. Mental labor has become a privilege of the dominant classes, and therefore the idea of \u200b\u200bits decisive role in society. The class bases of idealism changed during history, he was a support of a wide variety of political programs, but, as a rule, idealism is the worldview of conservative classes. The spiritual originally in I. is interpreted in different ways: it can be a shirtless spirit (Hegel), "World Will" (Schopenhauer), personal consciousness (personalism), subjective experience (empiricriticism) et al. Depending on how spiritual idealism understands, it is divided into two main forms - subjective and objective idealism. Objective idealism Sees the basis of the entire existing in thinking, cut off from a person and turned into an independent entity. In ancient philosophy, the system of objective idealism was developed by Plato, which considered that all the final things we visible are generated by the world of eternal, unchanged ideas.
In medieval philosophy, objective and idealistic systems were dominated: Tomism, Realism, etc. The tops of their development are objective I. Reached in German classical philosophy, in the Schelling system and especially Hegel, proclaimed the absolute identity of being and thinking. In the 20th century The line of objective I. was continued in Nehagelism And neomaturas (Tomis and neo-billion).
Objectiveidealism exaggerates the general capacity of scientific truths, the independence of cultural values \u200b\u200bfrom individual experience, tearing away ethical, aesthetic and cognitive values \u200b\u200bfrom real life of people.
Subjectiveidealism Takes as a fundamental basis, the feeling, the sensory consciousness of a separate man, cut off from society. Subjective idealism has achieved his greatest flourishing in bourgeois philosophy. His founder is the English philosopher 18 century. Berkeley, who put forward the situation that things exist only inspired as they were perceived. In the German classical philosophy in the positions of the subjective I. stood Kant, who had and materialistic moments ("thing in themselves"), and a phishht, who dissolved the objective world (non-I) in consciousness (I). In modern bourgeois philosophy, subjective idealism is a dominant direction. It is presented pragmatism, non-stopitivism, existentialism etc.
If it is consistently to conduct the principles of subjective idealism, then it is possible to deny the existence of not only the outside world, but also other people, that is, to solipsis. Therefore, subjective idealism is eclectic, it is connected with elements or objective I. (Berkeley, Fichte), or materialism (Kant, etc.). In accordance with themes, it is understood by the spiritual originally as something united or as many, I. takes the form of monistic I. (Sheller, Hegel) or Pluralistic I. (Leibniz). Depending on how philosophers enjoy, creating their picture of the world, I. is divided into metaphysical and dialectical. Dialectical I. is presented in the systems of Kant, Fichte, Schelling; Particularly deep, to the extent that the false idealistic basis allowed, dialectic from Hegel was developed. Metaphysical I. Inherent Neo-disconnect, pragmatism, positivismand others. directions. Depending on which moments in the process of cognition are absolutely absolute, it is possible to allocate empirical and sensualistic, rationalistic and irrational idealism.
Empirico-sensualistic idealism (Berkeley, Makh, etc.) allocates main role Sensual elements of knowledge, empirical knowledge, rationalist I. (Descartes, Kant, Hegel, etc.) - logical elements of knowledge, thinking. Modern forms I. (Heidegger, Yasperz et al.) Inherent mainly irrationalism, they deny the limitless possibilities of the human mind and oppose him intuition. They nominate not separate moments of human knowledge (sensation, perception), and such deep layers of human consciousness, human spiritual life, like emotions, experiences (fear, care, etc.). For idealism, close relationship with religion, the struggle against materialism.
What does idealism mean in the philosophical sense? The definition of this important concept in science looks intimidated and foggy. Let's try to explain it with an affordable language, the simplest words. Idealism in philosophy is ... mmm ... Half of the apple, if the whole philosophy is to present with an entire apple. And what is the second half? And the second half is materialism. Of these two halves and there is a whole apple - an apple of philosophy.
Philosophers of all countries and peoples, all times and generations argue about which half is better and what is more important. The main question of philosophy is that primary, being or consciousness? Idea or matter? It is important to think a lot or work a lot?
Another option is to combine two halves, just like: recognition of their equality and the same significance - such a direction is called dualism, it is trying to reconcile two opposing parties.
The smart definition of a dictionary in philosophy does not only explain anything, but, on the contrary, it confuses further incomprehensible words. And yet ... yet ... let's figure it out.
Idealism as a philosophical concept
Word itself, as a philosophical term, comes from the word idea. It is important not to be confused with the word ideal. The ideal is the desire for something better, perfect. The concept of ideal has nothing to do with the philosophical idealism.
This is a philosophical teaching, this is the doctrine of spirit, spirituality, consciousness, thinking. The thought, the work of the human brain, the ways of perception by the person of the surrounding world - this is the base on which it is built.
Philosophers - idealists believe that the human spirit determine the life of a person, his worldview, and most importantly - life (Genesis). As opposed to materialism, they believe that the ideas and thoughts of a person form his environment, his material world.
What is human consciousness, how does it affect the perception? Is there a universal mind forming materiality? How do the consciousness of a separate person with the universal disconnecting mind relate to each other? These questions were asked and asked by idealists, constant attempts are being made to comprehend them and get answers on them.
Main directions
Philosophers - idealists in their understanding of the world are not united and inside the idealistic philosophical flow they were divided.
Supporters of objective idealism Reality recognized the reality of the existence of the material world, the reality of the existence of the consciousness of each individual and the existence of a universal reason, ideas, a reasonable substance forming everything that affects the development of human consciousness and on the development of the material world.
Subjective idealists It is believed that everything depends only on the thinking and perception of the individual himself. The internal content of man, his thoughts, his relationship define his reality. For each person, according to the subjectivists, there is its own reality, which is determined by its ability to perceive and think. The sensations and combinations are determined by the items of the real, visible and tangible world. It is possible to say easier - no sensations, no peace, no reality.
Stages of formation
The history of the emergence of idealism as a philosophical direction is large and complex. His development is a kind of reflection of the development of a publicly defined era.
The main forms of this teaching, subsequently developed, arose in Ancient Greece. Plato consider the father of objective idealism. In his "dialogues", the ideas of the limitations of the human mind and the idea of \u200b\u200bthe existence of the mind of universal, universal, "mind of the gods" are voiced.
The medieval version of this direction of philosophy has developed towards the assimilation of the Greek model. God is described at this time as the idea of \u200b\u200babsolute truth, the absolute good. Independent from church glances at that time were rumbling, and philosophy was built under the control of the church. Bright representative This period is Thomas Akvinsky.
Subjective idealism has developed later, in the 18th century, when the possibility of self-awareness of a person as a person appeared. Representatives of this area - Fichte, Berkeley, Yum.
He reached his heyday in the German classical philosophy of the end 18 The beginning of the 19th century - the rationale for idealistic dialectics, the work of Kant, Hegel, Feyerbach.
The modern version of this teaching is represented by many directions: existentiation, intuivism, nestositivism, etc. Each of these areas is actively developing and is issued into entire individual philosophical systems.
Each stage in the formation of this teaching is a huge layer of human intellectual work, a new understanding of the device of the world. This is not distracted theorizing, and the base that helps deeper to realize the existing reality and bring changes to it.
Sincerely, Andrei Puchkov