isms

Megan M. (United Kingdom)
Political, Philosophical and Historic isms, including those on art and design.
147 words 23 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. absolutism
    a form of government in which the ruler is unconstrained
  2. abstractionism
    an abstract genre of art
  3. agnosticism
    a religious orientation of doubt
  4. altruism
    the quality of unselfish concern for the welfare of others
  5. anarchism
    a political theory favoring the abolition of governments
  6. animism
    the doctrine that all natural objects have souls
  7. anthropocentrism
    a tendency to see reality only in terms of human experience
  8. anthropomorphism
    the representation of objects as having human form
  9. antinomianism
    the theological doctrine that by faith and God's grace a Christian is freed from all laws (including the moral standards of the culture)
  10. Aristotelianism
    (philosophy) the philosophy of Aristotle that deals with logic and metaphysics and ethics and poetics and politics and natural science
  11. asceticism
    rigorous self-denial and active self-restraint
  12. atheism
    the doctrine or belief that there is no God
  13. atomism
    (chemistry) any theory in which all matter is composed of tiny discrete finite indivisible indestructible particles
  14. authoritarianism
    government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator
  15. automatism
    any reaction that occurs automatically without conscious thought or reflection (especially the undirected behavior seen in psychomotor epilepsy)
  16. behaviorism
    an approach to psychology that emphasizes observable measurable behavior
  17. Buddhism
    the teaching of Buddha that life is permeated with suffering caused by desire, that suffering ceases when desire ceases, and that enlightenment obtained through right conduct and wisdom and meditation releases one from desire and suffering and rebirth
  18. capitalism
    an economic system based on private ownership of assets
  19. Christianity
    a monotheistic system of beliefs and practices based on the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus as embodied in the New Testament and emphasizing the role of Jesus as savior
  20. classicism
    a movement in literature and art during the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe that favored rationality and restraint and strict forms
  21. collectivism
    a theory that the people should own the means of production
  22. communalism
    the practice of communal living and common ownership
  23. communism
    a theory favoring collectivism in a classless society
  24. conceptualism
    the doctrine that the application of a general term to various objects indicates the existence of a mental entity that mediates the application
  25. concretism
    a representation of an abstract idea in concrete terms
  26. Confucianism
    the teachings of Confucius emphasizing love for humanity
  27. conservatism
    belief in preserving tradition and opposing radical change
  28. constructivism
    an abstractionist artistic movement in Russia after World War I; industrial materials were used to construct nonrepresentational objects
  29. contextualism
    any doctrine emphasizing the importance of the context in solving problems or establishing the meaning of terms
  30. conventionalism
    orthodoxy as a consequence of being conventional
  31. creationism
    the literal belief in the account of Creation given in the Book of Genesis
  32. cynicism
    a pessimistic feeling of distrust
  33. Darwinism
    a theory of organic evolution claiming that new species arise and are perpetuated by natural selection
  34. deconstructionism
    a philosophical theory of criticism (usually of literature or film) that seeks to expose deep-seated contradictions in a work by delving below its surface meaning
  35. deism
    the belief in God on the basis of reason alone
  36. descriptivism
    a doctrine holding that moral statements have a truth value
  37. determinism
    (philosophy) a philosophical theory holding that all events are inevitable consequences of antecedent sufficient causes; often understood as denying the possibility of free will
  38. dialectical materialism
    the materialistic philosophy of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
  39. dogmatism
    arrogant or stubborn insistence that one's views are correct
  40. dualism
    doctrine that reality consists of two opposing elements
  41. dynamism
    a theory that explains phenomena in terms of active forces
  42. eclecticism
    making decisions on the basis of what seems best instead of following some single doctrine or style
  43. egalitarianism
    the doctrine of the equality of mankind
  44. egoism
    concern for your own interests and welfare
  45. emotionalism
    emotional nature or quality
  46. empiricism
    the doctrine that knowledge derives from experience
  47. environmentalism
    the philosophical doctrine that environment is more important than heredity in determining intellectual growth
  48. equalitarianism
    the doctrine of the equality of mankind and the desirability of political and economic and social equality
  49. existentialism
    a philosophy that assumes that people are entirely free
  50. experimentalism
    an empirical doctrine that advocates experimental principles
  51. expressionism
    an art movement focused on representing inner emotions
  52. fascism
    a political theory advocating an authoritarian government
  53. fatalism
    a doctrine that all events are predetermined in advance
  54. feminism
    a doctrine that advocates equal rights for women
  55. formalism
    the practice of scrupulous adherence to prescribed or external forms
  56. functionalism
    any doctrine that stresses utility or purpose
  57. hedonism
    an ethical system that values the pursuit of pleasure
  58. historicism
    a theory that social and cultural events are determined by history
  59. holism
    understanding the parts in relation to the whole
  60. humanism
    doctrine promoting the welfare of mankind
  61. idealism
    belief that the best possible concepts should be pursued
  62. individualism
    the quality of being a single thing or person
  63. instrumentalism
    a system of pragmatic philosophy that considers idea to be instruments that should guide our actions and their value is measured by their success
  64. intuitionism
    (philosophy) the doctrine that knowledge is acquired primarily by intuition
  65. Islam
    the monotheistic religious system of Muslims
  66. ism
    a belief accepted as authoritative by some group or school
  67. legalism
    strict conformity to the law rather than its spirit
  68. liberalism
    a political orientation favoring social progress by reform
  69. libertarianism
    an ideological belief in freedom of thought and speech
  70. logical positivism
    the form of empiricism that bases all knowledge on perceptual experience (not on intuition or revelation)
  71. logicism
    (philosophy) the philosophical theory that all of mathematics can be derived from formal logic
  72. Marxism
    theory that capitalism will be superseded by communism
  73. materialism
    a desire for wealth and possessions
  74. mechanism
    device consisting of a piece of machinery
  75. meliorism
    the belief that the world can be made better by human effort
  76. mentalism
    (philosophy) a doctrine that mind is the true reality and that objects exist only as aspects of the mind's awareness
  77. modernism
    practices typical of contemporary life or thought
  78. monism
    the doctrine that reality consists of a single basic substance or element
  79. monotheism
    belief in a single God
  80. mysticism
    a religion based on communion with an ultimate reality
  81. nativism
    a policy of favoring established inhabitants, not immigrants
  82. naturalism
    an artistic movement emphasizing realistic description
  83. nihilism
    complete denial of established authority and institutions
  84. nominalism
    (philosophy) the doctrine that the various objects labeled by the same term have nothing in common but their name
  85. operationalism
    (philosophy) the doctrine that the meaning of a proposition consists of the operations involved in proving or applying it
  86. optimism
    the hopeful feeling that all is going to turn out well
  87. organicism
    theory that the total organization of an organism rather than the functioning of individual organs is the determinant of life processes
  88. pacifism
    the doctrine that all violence is unjustifiable
  89. pantheism
    the belief that God exists in and is the same as all things
  90. particularism
    a focus on something particular
  91. perfectionism
    a disposition to feel that anything less than perfect is unacceptable
  92. pessimism
    a general disposition to expect the worst in all things
  93. physicalism
    the philosophical theory that matter is the only reality
  94. Platonism
    (philosophy) the philosophical doctrine that abstract concepts exist independent of their names
  95. pluralism
    a social organization in which diversity is tolerated
  96. polytheism
    belief in multiple gods
  97. positivism
    a quality or state characterized by certainty or acceptance or affirmation and dogmatic assertiveness
  98. postmodernism
    genre of art and literature and especially architecture in reaction against principles and practices of established modernism
  99. pragmatism
    the doctrine that practical consequences determine value
  100. prescriptivism
    a doctrine supporting or promoting prescriptive linguistics
  101. probabilism
    (philosophy) the doctrine that (since certainty is unattainable) probability is a sufficient basis for belief and action
  102. progressivism
    the political orientation of those who favor progress toward better conditions in government and society
  103. rationalism
    the doctrine that reason is the basis for regulating conduct
  104. realism
    the attribute of accepting the facts of life
  105. reductionism
    a theory that all complex systems can be completely understood in terms of their components
  106. relativism
    the doctrine that judgment is based on situational context
  107. romanticism
    impractical ideals and attitudes
  108. scholasticism
    close adherence to traditional teachings or methods
  109. secularism
    a doctrine that rejects religious considerations
  110. sensationalism
    the journalistic use of shocking subject matter
  111. sensualism
    desire for sensual pleasures
  112. skepticism
    doubt about the truth of something
  113. socialism
    a political theory advocating state ownership of industry
  114. solipsism
    the philosophical theory that the self is all that exists
  115. spiritualism
    the belief that the spirits of dead people can communicate with people who are still alive (especially via a medium)
  116. Stoicism
    (philosophy) the philosophical system of the Stoics following the teachings of the ancient Greek philosopher Zeno
  117. structuralism
    an anthropological theory that there are unobservable social structures that generate observable social phenomena
  118. subjectivism
    the quality of being subjective
  119. symbolism
    the practice of investing things with arbitrary meaning
  120. syncretism
    the union of different systems of thought or belief
  121. Taoism
    philosophical system developed by Lao-tzu and Chuang-tzu advocating a simple honest life and noninterference with the course of natural events
  122. theism
    the doctrine or belief in the existence of a God or gods
  123. Thomism
    the comprehensive theological doctrine created by Saint Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century and still taught by the Dominicans
  124. totalitarianism
    a form of government in which the ruler is unconstrained
  125. transcendentalism
    a philosophy emphasizing the intuitive and spiritual
  126. universalism
    the theological doctrine that all people will eventually be saved
  127. utilitarianism
    the doctrine that the useful is the good
  128. vitalism
    (philosophy) a doctrine that life is a vital principle distinct from physics and chemistry
  129. Zoroastrianism
    system of religion founded in Persia in the 6th century BC by Zoroaster; set forth in the Zend-Avesta; based on concept of struggle between light (good) and dark (evil)
  130. nominalism
    (philosophy) the doctrine that the various objects labeled by the same term have nothing in common but their name
  131. homunculus
    a person who is tiny or diminutive
  132. transcendentalism
    a philosophy emphasizing the intuitive and spiritual
  133. theism
    the doctrine or belief in the existence of a God or gods
  134. deism
    the belief in God on the basis of reason alone
  135. stoicism
    an indifference to pleasure or pain
  136. parallelism
    similarity by virtue of corresponding
  137. surrealism
    an artistic movement using fantastic and incongruous images
  138. imperialism
    a policy of extending your rule over foreign countries
  139. fascism
    a political theory advocating an authoritarian government
  140. conservatism
    belief in preserving tradition and opposing radical change
  141. neoconservatism
    an approach to politics or theology that represents a return to a traditional point of view (in contrast to more liberal or radical schools of thought of the 1960s)
  142. populism
    political doctrine that supports the rights of common people
  143. feudalism
    the social system in which vassals were protected by lords
  144. fundamentalism
    the interpretation of sacred texts as literal truth
  145. Salafism
    a branch of Sunni Islam that developed in the 19th century; the word comes from an Arabic term meaning “the pious predecessors” and reflects adherents’ emulation of early generations of Muslims
  146. relativistic
    of or relating to the philosophical doctrine of relativism
  147. parallelism
    similarity by virtue of corresponding
Created on Mon Jul 08 10:17:10 EDT 2013 (updated Tue Jul 30 16:46:56 EDT 2013)

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