Term | Definition |
absolutism | doctrine of government by a single absolute ruler; autocracy |
absurdism | doctrine that we live in an irrational universe |
agnosticism | doctrine that we can know nothing beyond material phenomina |
anarchism | doctrine that all governments should be abolished |
anthropomorphism | attribution of human qualities to non-human things |
asceticism | doctrine that self-denial of the body permits spiritual enlightenment |
aethism | belief that there is no God |
capitalism | doctrine that private ownership and free markets should govern economics |
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 |
determinism | doctrine that events are predetermined by preceding events or laws |
dualism | doctrine that the universe is controlled by one good and evil force |
egalitarianism | belief that humans ought to be equal in rights and privileges |
empiricism | doctrine that experiences of the senses is the only source of knowledge |
existentialism | doctrine of human responsibility in an unfathomable human universe |
fatalism | doctrine that events are fixed and humans are powerless |
gnosticism | belief that freedom derives solely from knowledge |
hedonism | belief that pleasure is the highest good |
historicism | belief that all phenomena is 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 |
immoralism | rejection of morality |
individualism | belief that individual interests and rights are paramount |
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 |
mechanism | belief that life is explainable by mechanical forces |
monism | belief that all things can be placed in one category |
naturalism | belief that the world can be explained in terms of natural forces |
nihilism | a doctrine that denies any objective ground of truth and especially moral truth |
objectivism | doctrine that all reality is objective |
optimism | doctrine that we live in the best of all possible worlds |
pessimism | doctrine that the universe is essentially evil |
pluralism | belief that reality consists of several different entities |
positivism | doctrine that that which is not observable is not knowable |
pragmaticism | doctrine emphasizing the practical value of philosophy |
rationalism | belief that reason is the fundamental source of knowledge |
realism | doctrine that elements of cognition are real |
reductionism | belief that complex phenomena are reducible to simple ones |
romanticism | belief that sentimental feeling is an artistic expression |
skepticism | doctrine that true knowledge is always uncertain |
socialism | doctrine of centralized state control of wealth and property |
solipsism | theory that self-existence is the only certainty |
stoicism | belief in indifference to pleasure of pain |
subjectivism | doctrine that all knowledge is subjective |
theism | belief in the existence of God |
transcendentalism | theory that emphasizes that which transcends perception |
utilitarianism | belief that utility of actions determines moral value |