5.1.2 Revolt against Idealism

The phrase, “Revolt against idealism” originated in a movement started by Russell and Moore as a response to what they perceived as an unproductive and misleading trend in philosophy. Even though they both arrived only recently in the history of philosophy, their analytic approach crystallized and focused the conflict between idealism and realism. For this reason, this section bears the name of the movement begun in their time as a result of their work. Many others joined in the battle, including other Analytic philosophers and Logical Postivists. This section highlights individuals, movements, and philosophical schools that emphasized interaction with and recognition of the reality of the physical universe. It doesn’t attempt to fully define those systems of thought, but only to focus attention to the elements of each that asserted the existence of an external reality and our abilities to experience and understand it.