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Irrealism is a philosophical term which seems to have been coined in the 1980s by Nelson Goodman to refer to the belief that the debate between realism and anti-realism was based on poor assumptions. In practice many irrealists were sympathetic to the critique on realism, but were also critical of the idealist, relativist, or reductionist tendencies of the anti-realists.
The philosophical term may be used in more specific or arguably narrower senses, such as "colour irrealism".*
"Irrealism" in Art and Writing
Artist/painter Tristan Tondino (1961-?) claimed to be an Irrealist and held the view that all realities are creations deriving from the needs and desires of living beings. As such Irrealism is anti-egocentric, basing truth on sustainability of worlds. Following Goodman, Tondino claimed truths about "the way the world is" make up building blocks for world versions. World versions may be thought of as functional and work by holding truths while nonetheless contradicting each other.
Tondino attempted to make his audience aware of the irreality of individual human perspectives. Some of his more well known works include ``the rule of the 2`` and ``Un tableau que personne ne veut.`` Tondino claimed all art is an expression of Irrealism and that the History of Art is a representation of world versions. Irrealism therefore subsumes artistic expression and explains versions like Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, Realism, Dadaism etc. as types of games - all significant ways of worldmaking or world picturing.
According to Tondino, Irrealism focuses on the deserts surrounding the tiny oases of truth about the world. Irrealist's accept Stace's arguments in his "Refutation of Realism" but claim it is just as coherent to infer there is a “world as it is." Tondino's Irrealism holds that for the most part it is impossible to know "the given" in “sufficient” detail i.e sufficient enough to justify a theory like realism but capable of justifying one like Irrealism.
Irrealism further adopts the stance that contradiction is acceptable within the following parameters: We can’t make absolute claims about what really exists and as a result contradictory world pictures can be held coherently. For example, "physicalist monism is preferable in Physics while dualism works best in Psychology. Quarks are useless in poems – at present, love is as real as are molecules. Despite the fact that certain molecules are emotions – love itself is still relevant."
One of Tondino's more Letrist artworks depicting the Statue of Liberty is entitled,"unworld" and includes the statement: "A word that denotes the difference between our pictures of the world and the world". The "word" Tondino coined to denote this concept is "unworld".
There have also been other attempts to define Irrealism in terms of art and writing. "Irrealism" in writing has been loosely, and arguably inaccurately, described as "sic" target="_blank" >**
See also Contemporary Art
Irrealism in Music
Some hardcore bands in Italy have claimed to be irrealist.
See also
External links
- "On Star-Making" by Nelson Goodman.
- Tribute to the Irrealist Philosophers (spiral pen drawing by Daniel C. Boyer)
- Irrealism Term Papers and Essays on Irrealism
References
- Starmaking: Realism, Anti-Realism, and Irrealism by Peter J. McCormick (Editor). ISBN 0262133202
"Irrealism"