In philosophy, idealism is the group of philosophies which assert that reality, or reality as we can know it, is fundamentally mental, mentally constructed, or otherwise immaterial. Epistemologically, idealism manifests as a skepticism about the possibility of knowing any mind-independent thing. In a sociological sense, idealism emphasizes how human ideas—especially beliefs and values—shape society. As an ontological doctrine, idealism goes further, asserting that all entities are composed of mind or spirit. Idealism thus rejects physicalist and dualist theories that fail to ascribe priority to the mind. COUNT 4
QSN1 What do idealist philosophies say is constructed in our minds? ANS1 reality QSN2 What types of things are idealist philosophies skeptical about? ANS2 mind-independent QSN3 Along with physicalist theories, what theories is idealism in conflict with? ANS3 dualist QSN4 In sociology, what sorts of ideas does idealism focus on? ANS4 beliefs and values