How does Renee Descartes' theory "I think, therefore I am" relate to idealism? I thought idealism was about ideals, and the difference between an idealist and a realist was that the first believes in an ideal life while the latter believes that there isn't more than what is already there, what is real. I figured it was the difference between optimism and pessimism.
Idealism is not about ideals, it is about ideas, or thinking. It's a skeptical philosophy that denies the existence of anything but our own thoughts. This is exactly what Renee Descartes' theory is about. But I wonder why the term for this philosophy is "idealism" when it is not an ideal way of thinking.
Realism is not a pessimistic philosophy, but rather a more optimistic view on life. It promotes that we do know there is a world outside our thoughts, that reality exists. Realism is a title that makes more sense, due to the idea that it advocates reality. However, it can still be confused with the term "realistic", which refers to practicality and has a negative connotation.
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