conceptualism
/kənˈsɛptʃuəˌlɪzəm/
noun
- A philosophical theory that says universal ideas (like 'beauty' or 'justice') exist only as mental concepts or ideas in the mind, not as separate physical things.
- In philosophy class, they debated whether conceptualism or realism better explains the nature of numbers.
- Conceptualism argues that the concept of 'redness' exists only in our minds, not as a real thing in the world.
- Many modern artists are influenced by conceptualism, believing that the idea behind a work is more important than the finished object.
Antonyms