actualism
noun
ac·tu·al·ism
ˈak-chə(-wə)-ˌli-zəm,
-shə-
plural -s
1
: a philosophical doctrine that all existence is active or spiritual, not inert or dead, or that reality is founded on activity or consists of process
2
: the theory that the self is a bundle of successive perceptions rather than a unified substance or entity
3
geology
: uniformitarianism sense 1
But a uniformity of causes does not imply a uniformity of rates, intensities, conditions, or results. … Some people consider actualism a better term than uniformitarianism. Processes that actually operate now, or those inferred to operate, can explain features and events of the past.—
Alan M. Cvancara, A Field Manual For The Amateur Geologist, 1995
Alan M. Cvancara, A Field Manual For The Amateur Geologist, 1995Dictionary Entries Near actualism
Cite this Entry
“Actualism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/actualism. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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