Solipsism

Solipsism is the philosophical position that only one's own mind is certain to exist. According to it, knowledge of anything beyond one's own mind, including the external world and other minds, is uncertain and cannot be conclusively established; in its most radical forms, the external world exists only as a representation of the self.

The term derives from the Latin solus ipse, meaning roughly "only oneself". The philosophical definition, however, cannot be reduced to its etymology. Scholars often warn against confusing solipsism with egocentrism: the former is a metaphysical or epistemological thesis about the nature of reality and knowledge, while the latter is a psychological attitude of focusing excessively on oneself.

The idea has deep roots in self-reflective thought and is sometimes linked to the extreme relativism of the Sophists. Plato, with his doctrine of transcendent Forms, is often credited with resisting that tendency. In early modern philosophy, René Descartes' methodical doubt and his hypothesis of an evil genius opened the way to solipsistic formulations, while George Berkeley, denying the existence of matter but not of minds, developed arguments of his own. In literature, Segismundo's soliloquy in Calderón de la Barca's play Life Is a Dream voices a comparable anxiety. The earliest documented use of the term appears in 1645, in a pamphlet by Giulio Clemente Scotti.

Philosophers distinguish several varieties. Metaphysical solipsism holds that only the self really exists. Epistemological solipsism maintains that we can know only our own mental contents, leaving the question of an external world open. Methodological solipsism is an agnostic variant, used mainly as a thought experiment to examine the foundations of knowledge. Related ideas appear in Taoism and in some interpretations of Buddhism, although these aim rather at dissolving the distinction between self and world.

The classic objections are several. The best known points out that the solipsist also dies, and that death, pain or biological needs seem to escape the subject's will, suggesting an independent reality. Another notes that the solipsist needs language to articulate the position, and language serves to communicate with other minds. Defenders reply that such experiences may be attributed to the mind itself, but the question remains unresolved.

Today solipsism is discussed chiefly in the philosophy of mind and in the problem of other minds. Many philosophers consider it impossible to refute conclusively, yet practically irrelevant, since we cannot escape the perception of a world that appears independent of us.