15. Similar to idealism, realism is also one of the oldest
philosophies in western culture and its origin began with the Greek
philosopher Aristotle (384-322 B.C.E.) in ancient Greece. Being a
longtime star student of Plato, he elaborated on the idealist view of
reality being based on ideas and not matter. He thought that a
proper study of matter could lead to better and more distinct ideas.
Religious realism came about through Thomas Aquinas, who
like Augustine, was heavily influenced by ancient Greek culture and
combined his ideas with Christianity. This is known as the classical
period. Modern and contemporary realism consists of scientific,
natural and rational realism. Some philosophers of this later period
include Francis Bacon, John Locke, Alfred Whitehead and Bertrand
Russell.
