Realism vs. Postmodernism — What's the Difference?

An inclination toward literal truth and pragmatism.

Postmodernism is a broad movement that developed in the mid-to-late 20th century across philosophy, the arts, architecture, and criticism, marking a departure from modernism. The term has been more generally applied to describe a historical era said to follow after modernity and the tendencies of this era.

The representation in art or literature of objects, actions, or social conditions as they actually are, without idealization or presentation in abstract form.

Of or relating to art, architecture, or literature that reacts against earlier modernist principles, as by reintroducing traditional or classical elements of style or by carrying modernist styles or practices to extremes

The scholastic doctrine, opposed to nominalism, that universals exist independently of their being thought.

Of or relating to an intellectual stance often marked by eclecticism and irony and tending to reject the universal validity of such principles as hierarchy, binary opposition, categorization, and stable identity.

The modern philosophical doctrine, opposed to idealism, that objects exist independently of their being perceived.

Any style in art, architecture, literature, philosophy, etc., that reacts against an earlier modernist movement.

A concern for fact or reality and rejection of the impractical and visionary.

An attitude of skepticism or irony toward modernist ideologies, often questioning the assumptions of Enlightenment rationality and rejecting the idea of objective truth.

An artistic representation of reality as it is.

Genre of art and literature and especially architecture in reaction against principles and practices of established modernism

(sciences) The viewpoint that an external reality exists independent of observation.

(philosophy) A doctrine that universals are real—they exist and are distinct from the particulars that instantiate them.

As opposed to nominalism, the doctrine that genera and species are real things or entities, existing independently of our conceptions. According to realism the Universal exists ante rem (Plato), or in re (Aristotle).

Fidelity to nature or to real life; representation without idealization, and making no appeal to the imagination; adherence to the actual fact.

The practise of assessing facts and the probabilities of the consequences of actions in an objective manner; avoidance of unrealistic or impractical beliefs or efforts. Contrasted to idealism, self-deception, overoptimism, overimaginativeness, or visionariness.

The attribute of accepting the facts of life and favoring practicality and literal truth

(philosophy) the philosophical doctrine that physical object continue to exist when not perceived

The state of being actual or real;

An artistic movement in 19th century France; artists and writers strove for detailed realistic and factual description

(philosophy) the philosophical doctrine that abstract concepts exist independent of their names