Philosophicalisms

PHILOSOPHICAL ISMS

Here is a list of different isms, each representing a philosophical, political or moral doctrine or a belief system.

ABSOLUTISM — doctrine of government by a single absolute ruler; autocracy

AESTHETICISM — doctrine that beauty is central to other moral principles

ANARCHISM — doctrine that all governments should be abolished

ANIMISM — attribution of soul to inanimate objects

ANTHROPOMORPHISM — attribution of human qualities to non­human things

ANTHROPOTHEISM — belief that gods are only deified men

ANTINOMIANISM — doctrine of the rejection of moral law

ASCETICISM — doctrine that self-denial of the body permits spiritual enlightenment

CAPITALISM — doctrine that private ownership and free markets should govern economies

COLLECTIVISM — doctrine of communal control of means of production

CONSERVATISM — belief in maintaining political and social traditions

DEISM — belief in God but rejection of religion

DUALISM — doctrine that the universe is controlled by one good and one evil force

EGALITARIANISM — belief that humans ought to be equal in rights and privileges

EGOISM — doctrine that the pursuit of self-interest is the highest good

EGOTHEISM — identification of oneself with God

EMPIRICISM -- doctrine that the experience of the senses is the only source of knowledge

EXISTENTIALISM — doctrine of individual human responsibility in an unfathomable universe

EXPERIENTIALISM — doctrine that knowledge comes from experience

FATALISM — doctrine that events are fixed and humans are powerless

GEOCENTRISM — belief that Earth is the centre of the universe

GNOSTICISM — belief that freedom derives solely from knowledge

HEDONISM — belief that pleasure is the highest good

HISTORICISM — belief that all phenomena are historically determined

HUMANISM — belief that human interests and mind are paramount

HUMANITARIANISM — doctrine that the highest moral obligation is to improve human welfare

IDEALISM — belief that our experiences of the world consist of ideas

INTELLECTUALISM — belief that all knowledge is derived from reason

LIBERALISM — doctrine of social change and tolerance

LIBERTARIANISM — doctrine that personal liberty is the highest value

MATERIALISM — belief that matter is the only extant substance

MONISM — belief that all things can be placed in one category

MONOTHEISM — belief in only one God

NIHILISM — denial of all reality; extreme scepticism

OBJECTIVISM — doctrine that all reality is objective

OPTIMISM — doctrine that we live in the best of all possible worlds

PANTHEISM — belief that the universe is God; belief in many gods

PESSIMISM — doctrine that the universe is essentially evil

PLURALISM — belief that reality consists of several kinds of entities

POSITIVISM — doctrine that that which is not observable is not knowable

PRAGMATISM — doctrine emphasizing practical value of philosophy

PRIMITIVISM — doctrine that a simple and natural life is morally best

PYRRHONISM — total or radical skepticism

RACISM — belief that race is the primary determinant of human capacities

RATIONALISM — belief that reason is the fundamental source of knowledge

REALISM — doctrine that objects of cognition are real

REDUCTIONISM — belief that complex phenomena are reducible to simple ones

REPUBLICANISM — belief that a republic is the best form of government

ROMANTICISM — belief in sentimental feeling in artistic expression

SCIENTISM — belief that the methods of science are universally applicable

SELF-DETERMINISM — doctrine that the actions of a self are determined by itself

SKEPTICISM — doctrine that true knowledge is always uncertain

SOCIALISM — doctrine of centralized state control of wealth and property

SPIRITUALISM — belief that nothing is real except the soul or spirit

STOICISM — belief in indifference to pleasure or pain

SUBJECTIVISM — doctrine that all knowledge is subjective

THEISM — belief in the existence of God without special revelation

THEOCENTRISM — belief that God is central fact of existence

THEOPANTISM — belief that God is the only reality

TRANSCENDENTALISM — theory that emphasizes that which transcends perception

UTILITARIANISM — belief that utility of actions determines moral value