common-sense realism: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Academic / Philosophical
Quick answer
What does “common-sense realism” mean?
A philosophical position that asserts the existence of an external world, independent of our perception, which we can know directly through ordinary experience and common sense.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A philosophical position that asserts the existence of an external world, independent of our perception, which we can know directly through ordinary experience and common sense.
In modern philosophy, especially in the Scottish School and 20th-century analytic philosophy (e.g., G.E. Moore), it is a stance rejecting scepticism and idealism by appealing to the obvious, pre-theoretical truths of everyday life as a foundation for knowledge.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical or conceptual difference. Usage is identical in philosophical contexts across both variants.
Connotations
Neutral, technical descriptor of a philosophical school.
Frequency
Exclusively academic/philosophical. Extremely low frequency in general discourse, but equal in relevant academic texts in both regions.
Grammar
How to Use “common-sense realism” in a Sentence
[Subject] advocates/common-sense realism.[Philosopher]'s common-sense realism argues that...A defence of common-sense realism.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “common-sense realism” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- He common-sense-realises the external world. (Non-standard; not used)
American English
- He common-sense-realizes the external world. (Non-standard; not used)
adverb
British English
- He argued common-sense-realistically. (Rare, derived)
American English
- He argued common-sense-realistically. (Rare, derived)
adjective
British English
- The common-sense-realist approach is compelling. (Derived adjective)
American English
- The common-sense-realist approach is compelling. (Derived adjective)
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Central term in philosophy seminars and texts on epistemology and metaphysics.
Everyday
Virtually never used; replaced by the simple term 'common sense'.
Technical
Precise label for a specific epistemological position in philosophical discourse.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “common-sense realism”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “common-sense realism”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “common-sense realism”
- Using it as an adjective (e.g., 'a common-sense realist view' is correct; 'a common-sense realism view' is not).
- Omitting the hyphen, which can blur the compound noun status.
- Confusing it with 'pragmatism'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
They are closely related. 'Naïve realism' is often used pejoratively by critics, while 'common-sense realism' is the term used by its proponents. In technical contexts, they can be synonymous.
No. It is a philosophical, specifically epistemological and metaphysical, position about the nature of reality and our knowledge of it. Science typically presupposes something like it.
The claim 'I know this tree exists because I can see and touch it' expresses the core intuition of common-sense realism.
The primary criticism is the 'argument from illusion' – if perception is sometimes non-veridical (e.g., hallucinations, mirages), how can we claim to have direct knowledge of the external world?
Common-sense realism is usually academic / philosophical in register.
Common-sense realism: in British English it is pronounced /ˌkɒm.ən ˌsens ˈrɪə.lɪ.zəm/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌkɑː.mən ˌsens ˈriː.ə.lɪ.zəm/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Appeal to common sense”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of the 'common sense' you use every day to know a table is real; this philosophy takes that seriously as 'realism'.
Conceptual Metaphor
KNOWING IS SEEING (directly); REALITY IS THE COMMON GROUND.
Practice
Quiz
Which philosopher is most strongly associated with 20th-century common-sense realism?