Difference between Idealism and Materialism
Materialism and Idealism are two theories of philosophy that are in direct conflict with each other. Materialism is based on the idea that everything in the world is made up of matter or in other words, everything in the world is dependent on matter for its survival. Idealism, on the other hand, is a philosophy that proclaims that reality is actually nothing, but our mind, our ideas and our consciousness – in simple words Idealism promotes the priority of ideals, principals, values and goals over tangible realities.
According to materialism, the reality is what you see or observe in the material things present around you. The materialism philosophy stresses that in order to understand the society and the world, one should study the environmental, physical and historical factors in detail. The materialists are of the view that consciousness has no real place in the world and that the human brain is just a piece of flesh in which a number of electrical activities are taking place simultaneously. It is because of these electrical activities that human beings and other living organisms are able to understand themselves as well as the things around them.
On the other hand, according to the idealism philosophy, presented by Plato, reality is nothing and all that matters is what your mind tells you. Idealism proclaims that the spiritual forces are the most essential factors in understanding the reality of the society and the world around you. The idealism philosophy claims that reality is not what you see or observe, but is actually what your mind makes you believe it is.
Materialism proclaims that worldly possessions and physical beauty are the most important things in life. The idealists on the other hand, prefer intellectual and moral development over accumulation of material wealth. Idealists are futurists and strive to work towards a perfect future, whereas materialists want everything now and seek instant satisfaction.
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Materialism
Materialism is one of the basic theories of philosophy, according to which the only thing that exists in the world is matter or energy. The materialists believe that everything in the universe is composed of material, and that all activities taking place in the universe are the result of material interactions.
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Idealism
Idealism generally stats that matter does not exist in its own right and that reality is mentally constructed. In the sociological sense, idealism stresses on how the human ideas (their beliefs, goals and values) contour the society. As an ontological dogma, idealism propounds that all entities are made up of mind or spirit and negates the existence of matter.
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