Realism
Realism holds that reality exists independently of human perception and thought. Common-sense realism (G. E. Moore, J. L. Austin) defends the existence of ordinary objects against idealist skepticism; scientific realism (Hilary Putnam, Richard Boyd) extends this to the unobservable entities postulated by our best scientific theories.
I. Time
| Extent | Infinite |
| Ontological Status | Substantival |
| Grain | Continuous |
| Freedom | Deterministic |
| Traversability | Linear |
| Dimensionality | One |
| Direction | Uni-directional |
Time is substantival and infinite — an objective, mind-independent dimension that flows in a single, deterministic direction. The realist treats time as a real container in which events occur; it would persist even if no events took place. Its structure is continuous and linear, reflecting the classical Newtonian picture that reality has a fixed temporal backdrop independent of observation.
II. Space
| Extent | Infinite |
| Ontological Status | Substantival |
| Curvature | Flat |
| Dimensionality | Three |
| Locality | Local |
Space is substantival and infinite — an objective, mind-independent container in which objects exist and events occur. It is flat and three-dimensional, operating locally: objects interact with their immediate spatial neighbors. Space exists independently of the matter it contains, consistent with classical physics and common-sense realism.
III. Matter
| Extent | Finite |
| Ontological Status | Substantival |
| Conservation | Conserved |
| Dimensionality | Three |
| Locality | Local |
Matter is substantival, finite, and locally situated — real, mind-independent stuff governed by natural laws. It is conserved: matter cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed. The realist takes matter as the paradigm of what is real, the fundamental furniture of the world against which all metaphysical claims must be tested.
IV. Observer
| Time Instance | Single |
| Space Instance | Single |
| Extent of Knowledge | Immediate |
| Retainment of Knowledge | Total |
| Physicality | Embodied |
| Agency | Passive |
| Number | Plural |
V. Energy
Finite and pre-existing, governed by natural laws. Conservation: Conserved — energy obeys the laws of thermodynamics within the objective, mind-independent world. Usage: Multiple — matter and energy can be reused and repurposed.
VI. Information
Information is an objective feature of a mind-independent reality. Facts about the world are real informational states that persist whether or not anyone accesses them. The realist treats information as conserved in the physical sense: the laws of nature preserve a complete record of the universe's state. Information is continuous because the realist assumes reality has infinite precision.