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

Etymology

Origin of phenomenalism

First recorded in 1860–65; phenomenal + -ism

Example Sentences

"Every form of phenomenalism," asseverated a learned and energetic old gentleman, who for many years occupied a chair in one of our leading institutions of learning, "necessarily leads to atheism."

From An Introduction to Philosophy by Fullerton, George Stuart

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 Münsterberg, Hugo

This principle when expressed as an epistemological or metaphysical generalization, is called phenomenalism.

From The Approach to Philosophy by Perry, Ralph Barton

With Hume, the sensualist theory, so far from giving an account of knowledge, ended in pure phenomenalism, i.e. once more, in scepticism.

From Outlines of a Philosophy of Religion based on Psychology and History by Sabatier, Auguste

Phenom′enalism, the philosophical doctrine that the phenomenal and the real are identical—that phenomena are the only realities—also Externalism; Phenom′enalist, one who believes in phenomenalism; Phenomenal′ity, the character of being phenomenal.—adv.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R) by Various