types:
faith,
trust
complete confidence in a person or plan, etc.
philosophy
any personal belief about how to live or how to deal with a situation
fetichism,
fetishism
a belief in the magical power of fetishes (or the worship of a fetish)
geneticism
the belief that all human characteristics are determined genetically
meliorism
the belief that the world can be made better by human effort
autotelism
belief that a work of art is an end in itself or its own justification
originalism
the belief that the United States Constitution should be interpreted in the way the authors originally intended it
pacificism,
pacifism
the belief that all international disputes can be settled by arbitration
sacerdotalism
a belief that priests can act as mediators between human beings and God
spiritualism
the belief that the spirits of dead people can communicate with people who are still alive (especially via a medium)
suffragism
the belief that the right to vote should be extended (as to women)
supremacism
the belief that some particular group or race is superior to all others
theory
a belief that can guide behavior
thought
the organized beliefs of a period or group or individual
totemism
belief in the kinship of a group of people with a common totem
values
beliefs of a person or social group in which they have an emotional investment (either for or against something)
vampirism
belief in the existence of vampires
individualism
a belief in the importance of the individual and the virtue of self-reliance and personal independence
entitlement
the belief that one deserves special treatment or privileges
nuclear deterrence
the military doctrine that an enemy will be deterred from using nuclear weapons as long as he can be destroyed as a consequence
apophatism
the religious belief that God cannot be known but is completely `other' and must be described in negative terms (in terms of what God is not)
cataphatism
the religious belief that God has given enough clues to be known to humans positively and affirmatively (e.g., God created Adam `in his own image')
analogy,
doctrine of analogy
the religious belief that between creature and creator no similarity can be found so great but that the dissimilarity is always greater; any analogy between God and humans will always be inadequate
cult
a religion or sect that is generally considered to be unorthodox, extremist, or false
ecclesiasticism
religion appropriate to a church and to ecclesiastical principles and practices
nature worship
a system of religion that deifies and worships natural forces and phenomena
revealed religion
a religion founded primarily on the revelations of God to humankind
pole
one of two divergent or mutually exclusive opinions
hope,
promise
grounds for feeling hopeful about the future
foretaste
an early limited awareness of something yet to occur
egoism
(ethics) the theory that the pursuit of your own welfare is the basis of morality
abolitionism
the doctrine that calls for the abolition of slavery
amoralism
the doctrine that moral distinctions are invalid
animalism
the doctrine that human beings are purely animal in nature and lacking a spiritual nature
animism
the doctrine that all natural objects and the universe itself have souls
asceticism
the doctrine that through renunciation of worldly pleasures it is possible to achieve a high spiritual or intellectual state
contextualism
any doctrine emphasizing the importance of the context in solving problems or establishing the meaning of terms
creationism
the literal belief in the account of Creation given in the Book of Genesis
divine right,
divine right of kings
the doctrine that kings and queens derive their right to rule directly from God and are not accountable to their subjects; rebellion is the worst of political crimes
dogma
a doctrine or code of beliefs accepted as authoritative
dualism
the doctrine that reality consists of two basic opposing elements, often taken to be mind and matter (or mind and body), or good and evil
dynamism
any of the various theories or doctrines or philosophical systems that attempt to explain the phenomena of the universe in terms of some immanent force or energy
epicureanism
a doctrine of hedonism that was defended by several ancient Greek philosophers
ethicism
a doctrine that ethics and ethical ideas are valid and important
expansionism
the doctrine of expanding the territory or the economic influence of a country
formalism
the doctrine that formal structure rather than content is what should be represented
gospel
a doctrine that is believed to be of great importance
gymnosophy
the doctrine of a sect of Hindu philosophers who practiced nudity and asceticism and meditation
imitation
the doctrine that representations of nature or human behavior should be accurate imitations
rugged individualism
individualism in social and economic affairs; belief not only in personal liberty and self-reliance but also in free competition
internationalism
the doctrine that nations should cooperate because their common interests are more important than their differences
unilateralism
the doctrine that nations should conduct their foreign affairs individualistically without the advice or involvement of other nations
irredentism,
irridentism
the doctrine that irredenta should be controlled by the country to which they are ethnically or historically related
literalism
the doctrine of realistic (literal) portrayal in art or literature
democracy,
majority rule
the doctrine that the numerical majority of an organized group can make decisions binding on the whole group
monism
the doctrine that reality consists of a single basic substance or element
multiculturalism
the doctrine that several different cultures (rather than one national culture) can coexist peacefully and equitably in a single country
nationalism
the doctrine that your national culture and interests are superior to any other
nationalism
the doctrine that nations should act independently (rather than collectively) to attain their goals
nihilism
a revolutionary doctrine that advocates destruction of the social system for its own sake
pluralism
the doctrine that reality consists of several basic substances or elements
populism
the political doctrine that supports the rights and powers of the common people in their struggle with the privileged elite
presentism
the doctrine that the Scripture prophecies of the Apocalypse (as in the Book of Revelations) are presently in the course of being fulfilled
humanism,
secular humanism
the doctrine emphasizing a person's capacity for self-realization through reason; rejects religion and the supernatural
feminism
a doctrine that advocates equal rights for women
occultism
a belief in supernatural powers and the possibility of bringing them under human control
reincarnationism
a doctrine that on the death of the body the soul migrates to or is born again in another body
secessionism
a doctrine that maintains the right of secession
secularism
a doctrine that rejects religion and religious considerations
phenomenology
a philosophical doctrine proposed by Edmund Husserl based on the study of human experience in which considerations of objective reality are not taken into account
states' rights
a doctrine that federal powers should be curtailed and returned to the individual states
utilitarianism
doctrine that the useful is the good; especially as elaborated by Jeremy Bentham and James Mill; the aim was said to be the greatest happiness for the greatest number
theism
the doctrine or belief in the existence of a God or gods
Christian religion,
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
Hindooism,
Hinduism
a body of religious and philosophical beliefs and cultural practices native to India and based on a caste system; it is characterized by a belief in reincarnation, by a belief in a supreme being of many forms and natures, by the view that opposing theories are aspects of one eternal truth, and by a desire for liberation from earthly evils
Brahmanism,
Brahminism
the religious beliefs of ancient India as prescribed in the sacred Vedas and Brahmanas and Upanishads
Jainism
religion founded in the 6th century BC as a revolt against Hinduism; emphasizes asceticism and immortality and transmigration of the soul; denies existence of a perfect or supreme being
Sikhism
the doctrines of a monotheistic religion founded in northern India in the 16th century by Guru Nanak and combining elements of Hinduism and Islam
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
Hsuan Chiao,
Taoism
popular Chinese philosophical system based in teachings of Lao-tzu but characterized by a pantheism of many gods and the practices of alchemy and divination and magic
Shinto,
Shintoism
the ancient indigenous religion of Japan lacking formal dogma; characterized by a veneration of nature spirits and of ancestors
Manichaeanism,
Manichaeism
a religion founded by Manes in the third century; a synthesis of Zoroastrian dualism between light and dark and Babylonian folklore and Buddhist ethics and superficial elements of Christianity; spread widely in the Roman Empire but had largely died out by 1000
Mithraicism,
Mithraism
ancient Persian religion; popular among Romans during first three centuries a.d.
Mazdaism,
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)
Bahaism
a religion founded in Iran in 1863; emphasizes the spiritual unity of all humankind; incorporates Christian and Islamic tenets; many adherents live in the United States
Asian shamanism,
shamanism
an animistic religion of northern Asia having the belief that the mediation between the visible and the spirit worlds is effected by shamans
shamanism
any animistic religion similar to Asian shamanism (especially as practiced by certain Native American tribes)
Wicca
the polytheistic nature religion of modern witchcraft whose central deity is a mother goddess; claims origins in pre-Christian pagan religions of western Europe
amateurism
the conviction that people should participate in sports as a hobby (for the fun of it) rather than for money
descriptivism
(linguistics) a doctrine supporting or promoting descriptive linguistics
descriptivism
(ethics) a doctrine holding that moral statements have a truth value
prescriptivism
(linguistics) a doctrine supporting or promoting prescriptive linguistics
prescriptivism
(ethics) a doctrine holding that moral statements prescribe appropriate attitudes and behavior
deity,
divinity,
god,
immortal
any supernatural being worshipped as controlling some part of the world or some aspect of life or who is the personification of a force
aeon,
eon
(Gnosticism) a divine power or nature emanating from the Supreme Being and playing various roles in the operation of the universe
angel
spiritual being attendant upon God
trickster
a mischievous supernatural being found in the folklore of many peoples
millennium
(New Testament) in Revelation it is foretold that those faithful to Jesus will reign with Jesus over the earth for a thousand years; the meaning of these words have been much debated; some denominations (e.g. Jehovah's Witnesses) expect it to be a thousand years of justice and peace and happiness
popular sovereignty
the doctrine that government derives its authority from and is subject to the will of the people
popular sovereignty
pre-Civil War doctrine that people living in a new territory could decide whether or not slavery would be allowed there
social Darwinism
the application of Darwinism to human societies, especially the theory that human social groups are subject to struggle and competition in which “superior” groups are advantaged