phenomenalism

American  

[fi-nom-uh-nl-iz-uhm] / fɪˈnɒm ə nlˌɪz əm /

noun

Philosophy.

1. the doctrine that phenomena are the only objects of knowledge or the only form of reality.

2. the view that all things, including human beings, consist simply of the aggregate of their observable, sensory qualities.

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phenomenalism British  

/ fɪˈnɒmɪnəˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. philosophy the doctrine that statements about physical objects and the external world can be analysed in terms of possible or actual experiences, and that entities, such as physical objects, are only mental constructions out of phenomenal appearances Compare idealism realism

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Other Word Forms

• phenomenalist
  noun
• phenomenalistic
  adjective
• phenomenalistically
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of phenomenalism

First recorded in 1860–65; phenomenal + -ism

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

phenomenalism

As phenomenalism has its classic statement and proof in the writings of Berkeley, we shall do well to return to these.

From The Approach to Philosophy by Ralph Barton Perry

Finally, and most commonly, the terms of phenomenalism have been retained after their original meaning has been suffered to lapse.

From The Approach to Philosophy by Ralph Barton Perry

Agnosticism is but a cautious idealism—a timid phenomenalism.

From Essays Towards a Theory of Knowledge by Alexander Philip

It was about this time also that he began his study of Berkeley and Coleridge, and deserted his early phenomenalism for the conception of a spiritual will as the universal cause.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 1 "Franciscans" to "French Language" by Various

Mostly both views are combined, either as psychological voluntarism with interposed concessions to phenomenalism or as phenomenalism with the well-known concessions to voluntarism at the deciding points.

From Harvard Psychological Studies, Volume 1 Containing Sixteen Experimental Investigations from the Harvard Psychological Laboratory. by Hugo Münsterberg

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