The Nature of Reality

Idealism

Plato: A world of forms exists which things in our material world merely resemble

Immanuel Kant: Everything we experience is shaped by our mind, it is impossible to know the true nature of reality. TRANSCENDENTAL IDEALISM

Moderate Idealism / Immanent Realism

Aristotle: Forms do not exist in a transcendent reality, rather they exist within the substance of real things. This includes the form it takes as well as the “potentialities” it has (i.e. an acorn has the potentiality to turn into an oak tree) HYLOMORPHISM

Nominalism

Universals do not exist, only physical things

William of Ockham: There may be similar attributes among things or people but this is all in the mind. CONCEPTUALISM

Hylomorphism

Aristotle: Physical bodies are a compound of potency (matter) and immaterial form (act)

Monism

Materialism: Matter is the fundamental state in reality. Everything, including processes like action, emotions, consciousness are all the result of material interactions.

Dialectical Materialsim – Marxist Materialism –

Plotinus: Everything that exists derives its source from The Nous, a nebulous mind from which everything in the universe has emanated. The Nous itself emanated from To Hen, an ineffable singularity which encompasses everything in the universe. It is possible to return to To Hen by eliminating all division within one’s self.