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Realism

The theory of knowledge which holds that "universals" have an independent existence apart from individual objects. In physics, realism would hold that the results of a measurement (a given quantity) pre-exist the act of measuring, or as Einstein famously remarked, the moon exists regardless of whether one is looking at it.

Realism and local realism have both been challenged by experiments confirming predictions of quantum mechanics, but classical physics still operates on the assumption that reality is real.

Metaphysically, realism holds that "universals" exist in a realm of their own, and that manifest reality is subordinate to them. This is reflected in Plato's philosophy and in the "natural theology" of the medieval period.

Web Resources On Realism

Realism
Principle of locality (Wikipedia)
On the conflict between local realism and classical physics

Book Resources On Realism

Philosophy of Mind: Classical and Contemporary Readings by David J. Chalmers (ed.).
Scientific Reallism and the Plasticity of Mind by Paul M. Churchland

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