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A philosophical framework holding that reality is context-dependent—that what counts as real, how reality is constituted, and what aspects of reality are accessible vary with the context of inquiry, the frameworks employed, and the practices of engagement. Reality contextualism challenges the view of a single, unified reality independent of all contexts. The reality of a quantum particle depends on measurement context; the reality of a social institution depends on the practices that constitute it; the reality of a work of art depends on the context of its reception. Contextualism doesn't deny that reality exists; it insists that reality is always reality-in-context, and that what we call "the real" is always situated. It demands that we attend to the contexts that make reality appear.
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