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naive realism

American  

noun

Philosophy.
  1. the theory that the world is perceived exactly as it is.


naive realism British  

noun

  1. philosophy the doctrine that in perception of physical objects what is before the mind is the object itself and not a representation of it Compare representationalism

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • naive realist noun

Etymology

Origin of naive realism

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This position is sometimes called scientific realism or, by critics, naive realism.

From Scientific American

A recent study found that explaining naive realism to people and showing them visual illusions reduced their certainty in their judgments of others’ behavior — whether Donald is being hostile or just assertive.

From Washington Post

Her confession that she craves a "naive realism" is a clue to her eventual fate.

From The Guardian

Plausibly, the survival advantage of vision gave rise to our reflexive bias for believing that the world is as we perceive it to be, an error that psychologists and philosophers call naive realism.

From Salon

A naive realism is a relic of past ancestry; it is a failure to conceive anything as reality unless it lends itself to the senses.

From Project Gutenberg