Which philosophy asserts that only the mind is real and that matter is an illusion?

The philosophy that asserts only the mind is real and that matter is an illusion is known as idealism. This perspective posits that reality is fundamentally mental or immaterial in nature. Idealists argue that the material world does not exist independently of the consciousness that perceives it, therefore, they view the mind as the primary or sole essence of existence.

The essence of idealism emphasizes that our experiences and perceptions shape reality, suggesting that what we understand as the physical world is merely a projection of the mind. Philosophers such as George Berkeley are often associated with this viewpoint, famously stating "to be is to be perceived," implying that physical objects exist only as long as they are being perceived by a conscious mind.

In contrast, materialism is the belief that only physical matter exists and everything can be explained in terms of material interactions. Dualism posits that both mind and matter exist as distinct entities, whereas property dualism refers to the notion that mental phenomena are non-physical properties that emerge from physical systems but do not exist independently. Each of these philosophies stands in opposition to the core tenets of idealism, which asserts the primacy of the mental realm over the physical.