New realism (philosophy)
New Realism was a philosophical movement that emerged in the early 20th century, primarily in the United States and Great Britain. It represented a reaction against Idealism, the dominant philosophical school of the late 19th century, and aimed to provide a more direct and accurate account of the relationship between mind and reality.
Central to New Realism is the claim that objects of perception, and indeed all objects, exist independently of being perceived or thought about. This is often expressed through the thesis of "external relations," which asserts that relations between objects, including the relation of being known by a subject, do not modify the intrinsic nature of those objects. In other words, knowing something doesn't change what it is.
Key tenets of New Realism include:
- Direct Realism: We perceive objects directly, not merely representations or ideas of them. The object itself is present in consciousness.
- Independence of Existence: Objects exist independently of our minds. Their existence is not contingent upon being perceived or thought about.
- External Relations: Relations, including the relation of knowing, are external to the things related and do not alter their intrinsic nature.
- Neutral Monism (in some versions): Some New Realists, influenced by thinkers like William James and Bertrand Russell, embraced a form of neutral monism, suggesting that both mind and matter are composed of a more fundamental, neutral stuff or "elements." This neutral stuff can be organized in different ways to constitute either mental or physical entities.
Notable figures associated with New Realism include Ralph Barton Perry, William Pepperell Montague, Edwin Bissell Holt, Walter Taylor Marvin, and in its early stages, Bertrand Russell.
New Realism faced various criticisms, particularly regarding the problem of error and illusion. If we directly perceive objects as they are, how can we account for cases where our perceptions are inaccurate or misleading? New Realists proposed various solutions, often involving the concept of "error as mislocation" or "partial perspective," arguing that errors arise from a misinterpretation of the object's properties or location, rather than from a fundamental distortion of reality itself.
The influence of New Realism waned in the mid-20th century, superseded by other philosophical movements such as Logical Positivism and Ordinary Language Philosophy. However, its emphasis on direct realism and the independence of the external world continues to resonate in contemporary debates within epistemology and metaphysics.