Idealism is a philosophical perspective that emphasizes the importance of ideas and concepts, rather than material objects or physical sensations, in understanding the world. It is a broad term that can refer to various philosophical traditions, but at its core, idealism posits that reality is fundamentally mental or spiritual in nature. The term "idealism" is used in different ways within philosophy, which often makes its meaning dependent on the context. There are two basic forms of idealism: metaphysical idealism, which asserts the ideality of reality, and epistemological idealism, which holds that in the knowledge process, the mind can grasp only the psychic or that its objects are conditioned by their perceptibility.
Idealism is often contrasted with materialism, which is the view that the basic substance of the world is matter and that it is known primarily through and as material forms and processes. Idealism has been subject to numerous criticisms throughout its history as a philosophical perspective, but its emphasis on the importance of ideas and concepts has led to important insights in fields such as ethics, aesthetics, and social theory.
