What is Reality: Definition and 432 Discussions

Reality is the sum or aggregate of all that is real or existent within a system, as opposed to that which is only imaginary. The term is also used to refer to the ontological status of things, indicating their existence. In physical terms, reality is the totality of a system, known and unknown. Philosophical questions about the nature of reality or existence or being are considered under the rubric of ontology, which is a major branch of metaphysics in the Western philosophical tradition. Ontological questions also feature in diverse branches of philosophy, including the philosophy of science, philosophy of religion, philosophy of mathematics, and philosophical logic. These include questions about whether only physical objects are real (i.e., Physicalism), whether reality is fundamentally immaterial (e.g., Idealism), whether hypothetical unobservable entities posited by scientific theories exist, whether God exists, whether numbers and other abstract objects exist, and whether possible worlds exist.

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  1. N

    Proof of Reality: Electrical Impulses and The Matrix

    as all observations and feelings are merely electrical impulses interpreted by my brain, who's to say any laws of physics really apply? who's to say I'm not a machine made of iron led to believe i am a man with a meat-computer in my head. who's to say I'm not in The Matrix (TM)?
  2. M

    News Iraqis tell the reality of Iraq .

    Iraqis tell the reality of Iraq... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/3515884.stm Amazing that all of the Iraqis posting say it's better. The poll shows that most think it is bettter now than before. And yet MOST that are posting from outside of Iraq say they don't believe...
  3. N

    Fireplaces and Reality: Understanding the Wave Function

    I have a Laymans understanding of this subject but here goes... I'm sitting now in my living room looking at the fireplace. My act of observation (photons bouncing of the electrons into my eyes) cause the wave function to collapse and create the reality of the fireplace. I now turn my back...
  4. P

    Experiment and Theory vs. Reality

    I disagree. Experimental agreement is not grounds for establishing a theory. There needs to be a reason, based on some principle, that can explain why these things are true. For example, if I am in a spaceship traveling the speed of light relativity says that I can not walk from one end of...
  5. C

    Reality: Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" & Other Metaphors

    Does anyone know of other good, simple or well known metaphors for our relationship to reality besides Plato's allegory of the cave?
  6. R

    Butterfly Effect Movie's implications on our reality

    Hi, I just saw The Butterfly Effect in theaters yesterday after much much resistance... and i thought it was a GREAT movie... i don't know if the actual movie was great but the perspective on reality is what got me the most... In this movie, whenever he reads a passage from one of his...
  7. W

    Living Without Fossil Fuels: A New Reality

    how would our life be different if all fossil fuels suddenly disappeared ?
  8. C

    Philosophical Thoughts On Our Perceptions of Reality

    Someone posted the following at alt.atheism: How do you know what happens after death? Have you been in that position? If we are the rational skeptics we ought to be, we will doubt that our perception of 'fleshiness', or materialism in general, is a complete and perfect perception. If we...
  9. O

    Is our personal reality separate from the Mass Reality

    riddle me this! Simply asked, is our personal reality unique and separate from the mass reality while participating in mass events? As an extension, are there an infinite number of realities co-existing simultaneously and creating the observable mass reality?
  10. benzun_1999

    Exploring the Reality of Ouija Boards

    Is Ouija Board real?
  11. W

    Reality and Energy: Exploring Others' Views

    Reality&Energy I have certain beleives on reality and i was wondering about others view on exactly what reality is. i believe that what we see has reality is a physical representation of energy and that when one can do flips or any other physical or mental ability that is "imposiable" is...
  12. E

    Reality vs Sense: Ideas on What Makes Something Real

    Would anyone like to share ideas on what makes something real other than what our senses tell us to believe? Or are we completely dependant on our senses so that even if there was an alternate reality we would never wittness it as it really is. I know this sounds like something straight out of...
  13. S

    Is Zero a standard or a reality?

    Another post has been discussing standards used in measuring an observable. We attach a number as a value to use to create other numbers. So I thought I would open a discussion on the standard or reality of Zero. If Zero is a standard but not a reality it would have to be the most...
  14. S

    Albert Einstein's Wisdom: Reality vs Science

    'One thing I have learned in a long life: that all our science, measured against reality, is primitive and childlike - and yet it is the most precious thing we have.' Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
  15. T

    From Sand Comes All Things: Challenging the Reality of Creation

    I watch and see this continual barage of foolish conversation upon fired sand structures, but no one knows the sand or addresses it. From the sand comes all things made. Like from the water or from the air. I challange any of you on this forum all of you inlcuding you outside this forum or to...
  16. S

    Reality , Mathematics, and Computer Software

    "Reality", Mathematics, and Computer Software I believe this thread belongs in the Philosophy of Science and Mathematics section rather than in the "Software" section, because it deals with, well, philosophy of science and mathematics. First of all, what IS mathematics? Is it not a way of...
  17. benzun_1999

    What is the True Nature of Reality and its Impact on Mortality?

    What is reality?? Dear reader can anyone explain me what is reality? -benzun please, explain in simple words
  18. phoenixthoth

    Is Reality Multi-Layered and Accessible Through Inner Exploration?

    malai5 suggested to write down "what do i need to know at this time?" and see what floats in. i saw no harm in this so i did. and i began auto-writing. I'm not making a definite claim about the source of this writing except that it is probably something very personal to me. perhaps it is my...
  19. H

    On the existence of Objective reality

    This discussion originally arose in the thread "The answer to the 'Does God exist' question from Human Practice." I'm posting it in a new thread because by now it's a pretty deep tangent to the original thread and it's also an issue worth discussing in its own right. I am not arguing for...
  20. heusdens

    One Reality: Is There a Way to Merge Opposing Viewpoints on Reality?

    One Singular Reality = One Singular viewpoint of/on Reality? This website and this forum is about to discuss amongst people of various beliefs and non-beliefs the reality of God, and - since not all people are believers in God - we should add here: the reality of the world itself, and wether...
  21. H

    Refutation of reductionism (excerpt from The Fabric of Reality, by David Deutsch)

    Refutation of reductionism (excerpt from "The Fabric of Reality," by David Deutsch) The whole title of this thread should read "Refutation of reductionism as a fundamental explanatory framework (excerpt from The Fabric of Reality, by David Deutsch)" but there wasn't enough room for that...
  22. W

    Has knowledge changed perception of reality?

    When I first learned long ago that huge moon during moonrise is not optical distortion, but pure human mind produced illusion, I was quite astonished. http://www.amnh.org/naturalhistory/city_of_stars/21_full_moon.html It is explained away by fact that for human, atmosphere above seems...
  23. Ivan Seeking

    Japanese Inventor Brings Invisibility Closer to Reality

    "Japanese inventor has brought personal invisibility a step closer to reality" http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.08/pwr_invisible.html
  24. W

    Reality: Dream, Loop or Absolute?

    When you wake up from a dream...sometimes you are sad as you woke up and suddenly realized that you were dreaming and it was not true. Sometimes you wake up to realize..."thank god it was just a dream".. So what is the reality here...Is the so felt reality for real or its just coming out from...
  25. M

    In terms of mathmatical logical philosophy does reality have to exist?

    ?? Continued from my past post My definition of existence is a narrow principle; not a grand principle. It is logical to me to say that if some form "exists" (existence in the an ultimate, absolute, philosophical sense; a common philosophyical question is whether oneself exists...
  26. M

    Is Paradox the Key to Understanding the Ultimate Reality?

    Reality has connotations of a subjective experience to it. In defining reality; the ultimate reality will be the ultimate source of causation of all of the reality that we see today. By paradox I mean as the paradoxes associated with quantum mechanics. Whatever drives the nature of things...
  27. M

    What is the paradox of the ultimate reality?

    The ultimate reality will be pure paradox. Since if the ultimate conclusion of reality is conclusively logical, we would eventually become bored out of our minds and then we would eventually conclude that our conclusion was irrational seeing that the world no longer makes sense. The "forces"...
  28. M

    Several reason for doubt in reality of BB.

    This reasons are: 1) BB expects shaping 3D space from 0D zero point. This impossible. 2) BB expects the expansion of space at the speed of light. If BB began with flashes of the light, then the universe on today look like empty sphere by radius 10 billion light years with the background...
  29. Iacchus32

    The Heart of Reality: The Mysteries of Life

    What is life, if not that which is held internally? What is essence, if not that which is contained within form? Doesn't this suggest that life is an "interior process," by which the external "material world" exists to serve? And, that perhaps we should spend some time focusing on our "interior...
  30. D

    News I now inform you that you are too far from reality

    "I now inform you that you are too far from reality" http://64.39.15.171 or http://www.welovetheiraqiinformationminister.com Apparently I am not the only one who found the "wacky Iraqi"'s speeches the best thing on the news for the last couple weeks. Our initial assessment is that they...
  31. L

    Is Reality Merely a Projection of a Singular Mind?

    I wanted to give the readers (several did ask me to do this) a more direct understanding of my philosophy - which advocates an ultimate reality of a single Mind - and of how the universe we perceive fits-in, perfectly, with this idea. Instead of trying to prove that this is the ultimate-reality...
  32. Loren Booda

    The most direct proof of reality

    1. Briefly define "reality." 2. Is a "proof" of reality possible? 3. Relate your most direct proof of reality. 4. Does, or how does, that differ from a God-proof?
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