Do you think that optimism and idealism are contradictory?

Question

Optimism: the doctrine that the existing world is the best of all possible worlds.

Idealist: a person who represents things as they might or should be rather than as they are.

I always thought of them as going together, but perhaps not: Idealists look at things as they would be if they were improved, and see things as having a better version that should be brought into existence. Optimists see things as if they are already as good as they can be.

Answer 1

Sorry, but I disagree with your definition of optimism.

The way I understand it, optimists try to see the optimum value in the development of any particular situation, (perfect or imperfect), which is not the same as believing that the situation is the optimum of all possible alternatives.

Idealism, wanting an ideal (or perfect) situation to come about, is not in conflict with this.

Answer 2

I think of an idealist as someone who views the world as more or less lining up with their ideology as opposed to someone who recognises that the world needs to be improved to suit their ideals.  I'd say the latter is a pessimistic realist.

Idealism is a sort of dogmatism and can be either optimistic or pessimistic.

That said, I'm both an idealist and an optimist in the metaphysical sense (i.e. a Leibnizian; this is the best of all logically possible worlds etc.) and a pessimistic realist when it comes to human behaviour and choice (i.e. humanity, on the whole, is ignorant, mean, and stupid ... and rarely lives up to the standard I expect of it).

Edit:  Well an idealist is someone who idealises, no?  To idealise is "to regard something as ideal" according to wiktionary.   So an idealist regards the world as ideal, that is, in it's ideal form ... the world is thought as conforming to one's ideals or ideology.

The example of someone who regards the world as needing improvement is a realist, because they have ideals for how the world *should* be but recognise that the world isn't actually that way.  Because they do not view the world as ideal, they are a realist, and since they view the real state of affairs as being inferior to their ideals, they are pessimistic.

Answer 3

they're.. not together, but not contradictory;

optimism and pestimistic..ism? are contradicting.

and I think realism and idealism are opposite

b/c opt. is looking at the glass half full.. whereas pest. is half empty.. and idealism is looking at things at the way they should be done and realism is looking at things the ways they actually are

Answer 4

Your definition of Idealist is correct, but the definition can also be: a person who cherishes or pursues high or noble principles, purposes, goals, etc.

An optimist can also be described as disposed to take a favorable view of events or conditions and to expect the most favorable outcome.

So in those definitions both an Idealist and Optimist pursue favorable outcomes. What defines each individual is their perspective in considered "favorable". But being an Idealist myself I don't always look at just the "positive" as may an Optimist would.  

I don't think they are contradictory-- I think it depends upon the individual perspective of what the Idealist and Optimist see in a particular situation.