In philosophy, a theory that affirms that mind or the spiritual ideal archetype is of central importance in the interpretation of experience. It holds that the world or reality exists essentially as spirit or consciousness, and that abstractions and laws are more fundamental in reality than sensory things. Idealism is thus directly opposed to materialism, which is the theory that the basic substance of the world is matter and that it is known primarily through and as material forms and processes. Idealism is also opposed to the philosophy of realism, which holds that in human knowledge objects are grasped and seen as they really are in their existence outside and independently of the mind.該哲學理論斷言心靈或精神的理想原型是經驗詮釋的核心。唯心論認為世界或真實如同精神或意識，都是根本的存在；此外，抽象與法則在現實中比感官知覺的事物更為根本。因此唯心論直接相對於唯物論(materialism)，後者認為世界的基本成分為物質，我們對世界之認識主要是通過物質，並將之視作為一種物質形式與過程。唯心論同時也反對唯實論/實在論(realism)的哲學觀，後者認為在人類的認知中，我們對物體之理解與感知，與物體獨立於我們心靈之外的實際存在是一致的。Una teoría que afirma que la mente o lo espiritual e ideal es de central importancia en la realidad.Een theorie die bevestigt dat de geest of het spirituele en ideale centraal staan in de werkelijkheid.