Idealism
Part of speech: noun
Definition: The property of a person of having high ideals that are usually unrealizable or at odds with practical life. An approach to philosophical enquiry which asserts that direct and immediate knowledge can only be had of ideas or mental pictures.
Example sentence: Idealism, unrealistic idealism, is always contrasted with the reality of the people, of the man in the street. The details of daily life are always more convincing than the political fantasies of the earlier generations.
Pragmatism
Part of speech: noun
Definition: The pursuit of practicality over aesthetic qualities; a concentration on facts rather than emotions or ideals.The theory that political problems should be met with practical solutions rather than ideological ones.The idea that beliefs are identified with the actions of a believer, and the truth of beliefs with success of those actions in securing a believer's goals; the doctrine that ideas must be looked at in terms of their practical effects and consequences.