ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION

Realism 1861- 1914: -

An artistic movement begun in 19th century France. Artists and writers strove for
detailed realistic and factual description. They tried to represent events and social
conditions as they actually are, without idealization. This form of literature believes in
fidelity to actuality in its representation. Realism is about recreating life in literature.
Realism arose as an opposing idea to Idealism and Nominalism. Idealism is the
approach to literature of writing about everything in its ideal from. Nominalism believes
that ideas are only names and have no practical application. Realism focused on the
truthful treatment of the common, average, everyday life. Realism focuses on the
immediate, the here and now, the specific actions and their verifiable consequences.
Realism seeks a one-to-one relationship between representation and the subject. This
form is also known as mimesis. Realists are concerned with the effect of the work on
their reader and the reader's life, a pragmatic view. Pragmatism requires the reading of a
work to have some verifiable outcome for the reader that will lead to a better life for the
reader. This lends an ethical tendency to Realism while focusing on common actions and
minor catastrophes of middle-class society. Realism aims to interpret the actualities of
any aspect of life, free from subjective prejudice, idealism, or romantic color. It is in
direct opposition to concerns of the unusual, the basis of Romanticism. Stresses the real
over the fantastic. Seeks to treat the commonplace truthfully and used characters from
everyday life. This emphasis was brought on by societal changes such as the aftermath
of the Civil War in the United States and the emergence of Darwin's Theory of Evolution
and its effect upon biblical interpretation.

Idealism: -

Idealism is the oldest system of philosophy known to man. Its origins go back to ancient
India in the East, and to Plato in the West. Its basic viewpoint stresses the human spirit
as the most important element in life. The universe is viewed as essentially nonmaterial
in its ultimate nature. Although Idealist philosophers vary enormously on many
specifics, they agree on the following two points; the human spirit is the most important
element in life; and secondly the universe is essentially nonmaterial in its ultimate
nature. Idealism should not be confused with the notion of high aspirations that is not
what philosophers mean when they speak of Idealism. In the philosophic sense, Idealism
is a system that emphasizes the pre-eminent importance of mind, soul, or spirit. The
word idealism is derived from two distinct sources-the idea and the ideal. Idea means
true and testified knowledge. The word ideal stands for the perfected form of an idea or
ideas. If we study the basic principles, Idealism puts forth the argument that reality, as
we perceive it, is a mental construct. It means that experiences are result of sensory
abilities of the human mind and not because reality exists in itself, as an independent
entity. In the philosophical term this means that one cannot know the existence of things
beyond the realm of the intellect. Plato describes “reality” in his Theory of Forms.
For him the “Form” is actual substance of 'Things' which 'Formed' matter and
perceptible reality. Plato wants convey the message that matter is real and can be
experienced as a rational living entity; it is not a mere projection of consciousness.
According to Knight (1998) Augustine (354-430), Rene Descartes (1596-1650), George
Berkeley and the German philosopher Immanuel Kant and George William Hegel are
the prominent names who represent idealism. Berkeley and Kant have interpreted
idealism in very different ways. Kant described idealism as transcendent, whereas
Berkeley called it 'immaterialism' which is commonly termed as subjective materialism.
George Berkeley says that the material world exists because there is a mind to perceive
it and that things which are not within the conceptual framework of the human mind
cannot be deemed real. Berkeley admits that objects exist, but their presence in the
physical realm is as long as there is a mind to perceive them. For this Berkeley has
used a Latin phrase 'Esse estpercipi' (to be perceived). On the other hand, Kant is of the
opinion that reality exists independently of human minds but its knowledge is
inherently unknowable to man because of sensory filters in our consciousness. These
filters slow down our ability to see the 'thing in itself'. Thus, our ultimate perception of
things is always through the mind's fixed frame of reference (Shahid, 2008)

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 MEANING AND DEFINITION

Meaning: -
As a school of Philosophy, Idealism stressed more importance on ideas, ideals and
feeling than material object. Idealism is the result of Plato’s “Theory of Ideas”.
According to this theory, ideas is supreme truth. So, Idealism gives more importance on
spiritual world than the material world, because the material world is destructible,
transitory or mortal. On the other hand, Spiritual world which consists of ideas, ideals
and feelings reveals the reality of mind and soul, and therefore, it is immortal,
permanent and true. According to Idealism, human nature is more spiritual than material
which finds expression through different areas such as mental, religious and aesthetic,
which is absent in lower animals. According to Idealism human beings are endowed
with brighter intellectual abilities and can Mold and modify the surroundings and
circumstances to meet their needs and requirements. The modern technological and
scientific development is the result of men’s mental exercise. Besides, man has created
cultural and religious environment by his mental exercises, for the welfare of humanity
as well as his own good. Thus, according to Idealism spiritualism is the ultimate truth on
which the greatness and goodness of everything depends.

Definition: -
The meaning of Idealism has been defined differently by different eminent
educationalist and philosophers. Some of them are listed below:
1. Ross: “Idealistic philosophy takes many and varied forms, but the postulate
underlying all this is that mind or spirit is the essential world stuff, that the true reality is
of a mental character.”
2. D.N Dutta: “Idealism holds that ultimate reality is spiritualism.”
3. Brubachar: “Idealism points out that it is mind that it is central understanding the
world. To them nothing gives a greater sense of reality than the activity of mind engages
in trying to comprehend its world. For anything to give a greater sense of reality would
be a contradiction in terms because to know anything more real than mind would itself
be a conception of mind.