Realismo

Realismo, or realism, is a term used across philosophy, art, and literature to describe approaches that aim to represent subjects as they exist in fact, independent of the observer’s tastes or theoretical constructions. It emphasizes accuracy, objectivity, and a focus on the ordinary or given conditions of life.

Realismo in art and literature developed in the 19th century as a reaction against Romanticism and idealized forms. It sought faithful depictions of everyday life, social settings, and ordinary people, often with attention to social critique and the hardships of contemporary life. Notable figures include the French painters Gustave Courbet and Jean-François Millet; writers such as Honoré de Balzac, Gustave Flaubert, and Émile Zola; Russian realist writers Leo Tolstoy and Ivan Turgenev; and Brazilian author Machado de Assis.

Philosophical realism is the view that the world exists independently of our thought or language. It appears in various forms, including metaphysical realism (objects exist independently of mental states), epistemological realism (our cognitive faculties can know a mind-independent world), and scientific realism (successful theories provide approximately true descriptions of a real, possibly unobservable, world). Realism is often contrasted with idealism, nominalism, or anti-realism.

Realismo is also used in other domains to denote empirical, evidence-based approaches that emphasize observable phenomena and testable explanations, rather than speculation or purely subjective interpretation.