Realism

Realism, in philosophy, the metaphysical doctrine that universals really exist either apart from particulars, as Plato held, or that they are in particulars, as Aristotle held; or the combination of these views held by certain mediawal schoolmen. "Natural Realism," as held by Eeid in opposition to Berkeley (q.v.), is the doctrine that the external world exists independently of perception and is directly, and not merely symbolically, knowable. Scientific realism regards genera and species as really existing relations between really existing objects, and also as concepts of such relations, so that the same name represents both the relations and the concept of the relations. [Idea.] In literature and art realism, called also naturalism, is the theory that what actually exists and is actually true ought to be represented without any reticence and selection, which has in some cases induced nauseous delineation of what is vicious and revolting. This phase is a reaction against idealism and roma.nticism.