Essential Election Season Vocabulary: Some Political and Philosophical -isms

Autocracy—the whole human history proves it—by nature engenders absolutism. Desjardins, Louis-Georges

At first, most people agreed that true altruism was a uniquely human characteristic requiring an awareness of one's actions as selfless. Scientific American (Dec 8, 2011)

Still the good monks continued to live in rigorous asceticism; and their liberality to others often reduced them to extremities of privation. Bolanden, Conrad von

Capitalism’s focus on individualism and free contractual arrangements replaced a system in which familial, communal and religious bonds had greater influence over long-term relationships. Salon (Aug 3, 2012)

Recent polls show that instituting communism in the United States is more popular than our democratically elected congressional leaders. Washington Post (Nov 18, 2011)

A glittering shopping mall with an indoor ice skating rink stands as a totem of American-style consumerism. New York Times (Jan 3, 2012)

Henceforward free government all over the world lay crushed beneath the military despotism of Rome. Various

Consequently, as is the way of human nature, her egoism is exasperated, and becomes more firmly concentrated upon her own welfare. Boyd, Ernest Augustus

Darwin is the finest fruit of English empiricism.

She never questioned but that the fault lay entirely in herself, and a sort of fatalism made her accept it all with apathetic matter-of-factness. Delafield, E. M.

In the United States, as elsewhere, feminism could be characterized as the most successful social movement of the 20th century. New York Times (Dec 19, 2011)

In its heyday, Atlantic City was a haven of hedonism, its mystique etched onto the Monopoly board.

The Reformation took up the educational work of humanism, and carried it forward. Seeley, Levi

Once more, the poet’s mysticism is tempered by a tinge of idealism. Clarke, Helen Archibald

Samuel Johnson should be known as the apostle of individualism. Frothingham, Octavius Brooks

When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, the debate ended and isolationism was essentially dead. New York Times (Oct 4, 2010)

But San Francisco’s national reputation for liberalism and libertinism really got going after Prohibition ended in 1933. Slate (Jan 19, 2012)

"Materialism will be advanced as the only sound basis of rational thought and practice." Holyoake, George Jacob

Despite a reputation for deep-rooted nationalism, Turkey has adopted liberal economic policies under Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's AK Party government over the past decade. Reuters (Sep 28, 2011)

In her despair she succumbed to a sort of nihilism that made her ask: “What is the reason of anything?... Couperus, Louis

One homegrown tradition from the United States is pragmatism, which is focused on what works. New York Times (Aug 6, 2011)

There have been, since the waters of thought began to flow, two great streams running side by side,—Rationalism and Mysticism. Parsons, Frank

Colonel Qaddafi declared that his political system of permanent revolution would sweep away capitalism and socialism. New York Times (Oct 20, 2011)

He denounced totalitarianism in his native land while promoting human rights.