idealists
Believers in perfection
Idealists are people who pursue high principles or perfect visions, often despite practical obstacles.
The term can be admiring—idealists who fought for civil rights—or dismissive, implying naivety: The idealists in the group ignored budget realities.
In philosophy, idealists hold that reality is fundamentally mental or spiritual rather than material.
Idealists about love
- visionariesThose who anticipate change
- utopiansAdvocates for ideal societies
- fantasistsHabitual imaginers of unrealities
- daydreamersHabitual mental wanderers
stargazers · wishful thinkers · optimists · believers · aspirants · hopefuls · ideologues · naifs
Advocates for ideal societies
- socialistsAdvocates of shared ownership
- anarchistsOpponents of state authority
- collectivistsGroup-priority ideology adherents
- egalitariansAdvocates for equal rights
Greek philosopher, academy founder
- KantGerman Enlightenment thinker
- HegelGerman absolute idealist philosopher
- BerkeleyBay Area university city
- FichteGerman idealist philosopher
Schopenhauer · Leibniz · Spinoza · transcendentalists · metaphysicians · rationalists · dualists · phenomenologists
Having strong moral beliefs
- uncompromisingRefusing to yield ground
- nobleTitled or virtuous
- altruisticConcerned for others' welfare
- selflessConcerned with others' welfare
earnest · sincere · passionate · devoted · committed · unwavering · starry-eyed · impractical
People working for causes
- revolutionariesThose seeking systemic overthrow
- progressivesSocial reform advocates
- humanitariansThose who promote welfare
- abolitionistsThose opposing human bondage
suffragettes · civil rights leaders · environmentalists · pacifists · social reformers · campaigners · advocates · champions
romantics
Idealists about love
- visionariesThose who anticipate change
- utopiansAdvocates for ideal societies
- fantasistsHabitual imaginers of unrealities
daydreamers · stargazers · wishful thinkers · optimists · believers · aspirants · hopefuls · ideologues · naifs · true believers
utopians
Advocates for ideal societies
- socialistsAdvocates of shared ownership
- anarchistsOpponents of state authority
- collectivistsGroup-priority ideology adherents
egalitarians · futurists · pacifists · Shakers · perfectionists
Plato
Greek philosopher, academy founder
- KantGerman Enlightenment thinker
- HegelGerman absolute idealist philosopher
- BerkeleyBay Area university city
Fichte · Schopenhauer · Leibniz · Spinoza · transcendentalists · metaphysicians · rationalists · dualists · phenomenologists
principled
Having strong moral beliefs
- uncompromisingRefusing to yield ground
- nobleTitled or virtuous
- altruisticConcerned for others' welfare
selfless · earnest · sincere · passionate · devoted · committed · unwavering · starry-eyed · impractical · unrealistic
activists
People working for causes
- revolutionariesThose seeking systemic overthrow
- progressivesSocial reform advocates
- humanitariansThose who promote welfare
abolitionists · suffragettes · civil rights leaders · environmentalists · pacifists · social reformers · campaigners · advocates · champions · missionaries
- thinkersthinkers, thinker, philosophers, philosopher, Aristotle
- dreamersdreamer, dreamers, daydreamer, daydreamers, visionary
- philosophersAristotle, Plato, Socrates, Kant, Descartes
- reformersreformers, reformer, social reformers, social reformer, political reformer
- optimistsbelievers
- Utopiansutopians, visionaries, dreamers, communitarians, communalists
idealistsrealists
Those accepting things as-is
pragmatists · materialists · empiricists · positivists · naturalists
idealistscynics
Doubters of sincerity
pessimists · skeptics · misanthropes · fatalists · nihilists
idealistspragmatists
Those valuing practical results
realists · opportunists · Machiavellians · utilitarians · consequentialists
- youthful idealismEarnest hope before disillusionment
- romantic idealismBelief in idealized love
- American idealismFaith in national moral destiny