Solipsism

Solipsism is a philosophical position that holds the view that the only thing that can be known to exist with certainty is one's own mind. It is the belief that the self is the only reality and that everything else, including other minds and the external world, is purely a creation of one's own consciousness. The core idea behind solipsism is that an individual can only be certain of the existence of their own mind and subjective experiences. All other aspects of reality, including other people and the physical world, are perceived solely through the individual's own senses and mental processes, making it impossible to definitively prove their independent existence. Solipsism challenges the common-sense assumption that there is an objective, external reality that exists independently of the individual's mind. Instead, solipsists argue that the only thing that can be known with certainty is the existence of one's own mind - however, noting this, solipsism can either be a purely metaphysical position or an epistemological one (I.e. we technically cannot prove the outside world so let us be skeptical of it). Solipsism is a challenging and often controversial philosophical position that has been debated throughout the history of philosophy. While it raises important questions about the nature of reality and knowledge, most philosophers and thinkers have ultimately rejected solipsism as an untenable or undesirable worldview - hence the Key Figures section details philosophers who have dealed with solipsism and ultimately moved past it.