🧑‍🎓 Reality depends on mind 🧠 Denying objective reality 🎨 Prefers abstract art

antirealist

9.7

A person who believes the world depends on what we see or think

noun
/ˌæntiˈriːəlɪst/

Formal

: antirrealista

Indeed, in the philosophy of science, it is often difficult to tell realists and antirealists apart.

Examples

As an antirealist, she believes that what we perceive is influenced by our theories and concepts.
Many philosophers identify as antirealists, arguing that perception shapes our understanding of reality.
The debate between realists and antirealists in science continues to provoke deep philosophical discussions.

Synonyms

idealism

vsantirealist

Specialized

4 8.7

Reality exists because of the mind and ideas, not independent physical things

is the personal belief that reality depends on perception, theory, or concepts

solipsist

vsantirealist

Specialized

1 9.9

A person who believes only their own mind is real

allows reality to depend on minds or concepts generally, not only one mind

phenomenalist

vsantirealist

Specialized

9.9

A person who believes only what can be seen or felt is real

includes dependence on theory and concepts, not only perception

conceptualist

vsantirealist

Specialized

8.6

A person who thinks general ideas exist only in the mind

sees reality as dependent on perception, theory, or wider conceptual schemes

nominalist

vsantirealist

Formal

9.9

A person who thinks general ideas are only names and only individual things are real

applies the dependence idea more broadly than to names alone

nonrealist

vsantirealist

8.5

A person, often an artist or philosopher, who avoids showing the real world

is the view that reality depends on perception, theory, or conceptual schemes

Surface Forms

antirealist singular

antirealists plural

Morphology

antirealist = realist (semi-transparent) = anti + real + ist

The noun directly names an adherent of anti-realism, but the doctrinal sense is specialized and not fully recoverable from the parts alone.

Etymology

Antirealist is made of anti- ('against') and realist (from real, 'true' or 'existing'). So an antirealist is a person who is 'against' the belief that things exist by themselves, separate from our thoughts or ways of seeing.