Philosophical Isms Here are 234 different isms, each representing a philosophical, political or moral doctrine or a belief system. In selecting terms for the list, I have deliberately avoided any word which apply ism to a personal name, so that Marxism doesn't count although it is otherwise an ideal candidate for the list. I also excluded isms which do not refer to a specific belief system, such as impressionism (an artistic movement) or alcoholism (a disease). Despite these omissions, enough remain to leave an ism in every pot, including beliefs about proper government, God, and the nature of existence itself. Of the terms on the list that are of a religious nature, most are Christian, which is not unexpected, but I'm open to adding isms from other world religions.

Word Definition absolutism doctrine of government by a single absolute ruler; autocracy absurdism doctrine that we live in an irrational universe academicism doctrine that nothing can be known accidentalism theory that events do not have causes acosmism disbelief in existence of eternal universe distinct from God adamitism nakedness for religious reasons adevism denial of gods of mythology and legend adiaphorism doctrine of theological indifference or latitudinarianism adoptionism belief that Christ was the adopted and not natural son of God aestheticism doctrine that beauty is central to other moral principles agapism ethics of love agathism belief in ultimate triumph of good despite evil means agnosticism doctrine that we can know nothing beyond material phenomena anarchism doctrine that all governments should be abolished animism attribution of soul to inanimate objects annihilationism doctrine that the wicked are utterly destroyed after death anthropomorphism attribution of human qualities to non-human things anthropotheism belief that gods are only deified men antidisestablishmentarianism doctrine opposed to removing Church of England's official religion status antilapsarianism denial of doctrine of the fall of humanity antinomianism doctrine of the rejection of moral law antipedobaptism denial of validity of infant baptism apocalypticism doctrine of the imminent end of the world asceticism doctrine that self-denial of the body permits spiritual enlightenment aspheterism denial of the right to private property atheism belief that there is no God atomism belief that the universe consists of small indivisible particles autosoterism belief that one can obtain salvation through oneself autotheism belief that one is God incarnate or that one is Christ bitheism belief in two gods bonism the doctrine that the world is good but not perfect bullionism belief in the importance of metallic currency in economics capitalism doctrine that private ownership and free markets should govern economies casualism the belief that chance governs all things catabaptism belief in the wrongness of infant baptism catastrophism belief in rapid geological and biological change collectivism doctrine of communal control of means of production collegialism theory that church is independent from the state communism theory of classless society in which individuals cannot own property conceptualism theory that universal truths exist as mental concepts conservatism belief in maintaining political and social traditions constructivism belief that knowledge and reality do not have an objective value cosmism belief that the cosmos is a self-existing whole cosmotheism the belief that identifies God with the cosmos deism belief in God but rejection of religion determinism doctrine that events are predetermined by preceding events or laws diphysitism belief in the dual nature of Christ ditheism belief in two equal gods, one good and one evil ditheletism doctrine that Christ had two wills 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 eidolism belief in ghosts emotivism theory that moral statements are inherently biased empiricism doctrine that the experience of the senses is the only source of knowledge entryism doctrine of joining a group to change its policies epiphenomenalism doctrine that mental processes are epiphenomena of brain activity eternalism the belief that matter has existed eternally eudaemonism ethical belief that happiness equals morality euhemerism explanation of mythology as growing out of history existentialism doctrine of individual human responsibility in an unfathomable universe experientialism doctrine that knowledge comes from experience fallibilism the doctrine that empirical knowledge is uncertain fatalism doctrine that events are fixed and humans are powerless fideism doctrine that knowledge depends on faith over reason finalism belief that an end has or can be reached fortuitism belief in evolution by chance variation functionalism doctrine emphasising utility and function geocentrism belief that Earth is the centre of the universe gnosticism belief that freedom derives solely from knowledge gradualism belief that things proceed by degrees gymnobiblism belief that the Bible can be presented to unlearned without commentary hedonism belief that pleasure is the highest good henism doctrine that there is only one kind of existence henotheism belief in one tribal god, but not as the only god historicism belief that all phenomena are historically determined holism doctrine that parts of any thing must be understood in relation to the whole holobaptism belief in baptism with total immersion in water humanism belief that human interests and mind are paramount humanitarianism doctrine that the highest moral obligation is to improve human welfare hylicism materialism hylomorphism belief that matter is cause of the universe hylopathism belief in ability of matter to affect the spiritual world hylotheism belief that the universe is purely material hylozoism doctrine that all matter is endowed with life idealism belief that our experiences of the world consist of ideas identism doctrine that objective and subjective, or matter and mind, are identical ignorantism doctrine that ignorance is a favourable thing illuminism belief in an inward spiritual light illusionism belief that the external world is philosophy imagism doctrine of use of precise images with unrestricted subject immanentism belief in an immanent or permanent god immaterialism the doctrine that there is no material substance immoralism rejection of morality indifferentism the belief that all religions are equally valid individualism belief that individual interests and rights are paramount instrumentalism doctrine that ideas are instruments of action intellectualism belief that all knowledge is derived from reason interactionism belief that mind and body act on each other introspectionism doctrine that knowledge of mind must derive from introspection intuitionism belief that the perception of truth is by intuition irreligionism system of belief that is hostile to religions kathenotheism polytheism in which each god is considered single and supreme kenotism doctrine that Christ rid himself of divinity in becoming human laicism doctrine of opposition to clergy and priests latitudinarianism doctrine of broad liberality in religious belief and conduct laxism belief that an unlikely opinion may be safely followed legalism belief that salvation depends on strict adherence to the law liberalism doctrine of social change and tolerance libertarianism doctrine that personal liberty is the highest value malism the belief that the world is evil materialism belief that matter is the only extant substance mechanism belief that life is explainable by mechanical forces meliorism the belief the world tends to become better mentalism belief that the world can be explained as aspect of the mind messianism belief in a single messiah or saviour millenarianism belief that an ideal society will be produced in the near future modalism belief in unity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit monadism theory that there exist ultimate units of being monergism theory that the Holy Spirit alone can act monism belief that all things can be placed in one category monophysitism belief that Christ was primarily divine but in human form monopsychism belief that individuals have a single eternal soul monotheism belief in only one God monotheletism belief that Christ had only one will mortalism belief that the soul is mortal mutualism belief in mutual dependence of society and the individual nativism belief that the mind possesses inborn thoughts naturalism belief that the world can be explained in terms of natural forces necessarianism theory that actions are determined by prior history; fatalism neonomianism theory that the gospel abrogates earlier moral codes neovitalism theory that total material explanation is impossible nihilism denial of all reality; extreme scepticism nominalism doctrine that naming of things defines reality nomism view that moral conduct consists in observance of laws noumenalism belief in existence of noumena nullibilism denial that the soul exists in space numenism belief in local deities or spirits objectivism doctrine that all reality is objective omnism belief in all religions optimism doctrine that we live in the best of all possible worlds organicism conception of life or society as an organism paedobaptism doctrine of infant baptism panaesthetism theory that consciousness may inhere generally in matter pancosmism theory that the material universe is all that exists panegoism solipsism panentheism belief that world is part but not all of God’s being panpsychism theory that all nature has a psychic side pansexualism theory that all thought derived from sexual instinct panspermatism belief in origin of life from extraterrestrial germs pantheism belief that the universe is God; belief in many gods panzoism belief that humans and animals share vital life energy parallelism belief that matter and mind don’t interact but relate pejorism severe pessimism perfectibilism doctrine that humans capable of becoming perfect perfectionism doctrine that moral perfection constitutes the highest value personalism doctrine that humans possess spiritual freedom pessimism doctrine that the universe is essentially evil phenomenalism belief that phenomena are the only realities physicalism belief that all phenomena reducible to verifiable assertions physitheism attribution of physical form and attributes to deities pluralism belief that reality consists of several kinds or entities polytheism belief in multiple deities positivism doctrine that that which is not observable is not knowable pragmatism doctrine emphasizing practical value of philosophy predestinarianism belief that what ever is to happen is already fixed prescriptivism belief that moral edicts are merely orders with no truth value primitivism doctrine that a simple and natural life is morally best privatism attitude of avoiding involvement in outside interests probabiliorism belief that when in doubt one must choose most likely answer probabilism belief that knowledge is always probable but never absolute psilanthropism denial of Christ's divinity psychism belief in universal soul psychomorphism doctrine that inanimate objects have human mentality psychopannychism belief souls sleep from death to resurrection psychotheism doctrine that God is a purely spiritual entity pyrrhonism total or radical skepticism quietism doctrine of enlightenment through mental tranquility 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 regalism doctrine of the monarch's supremacy in church affairs representationalism doctrine that ideas rather than external objects are basis of knowledge republicanism belief that a republic is the best form of government resistentialism humorous theory that inanimate objects display malice towards humans romanticism belief in sentimental feeling in artistic expression sacerdotalism belief that priests are necessary mediators between God and mankind sacramentarianism belief that sacraments have unusual properties scientism belief that the methods of science are universally applicable self-determinism doctrine that the actions of a self are determined by itself sensationalism belief that ideas originate solely in sensation sexism belief in systematic inequalities between the sexes siderism belief that the stars influence human affairs skepticism doctrine that true knowledge is always uncertain socialism doctrine of centralized state control of wealth and property solarism excessive use of solar myths in explaining mythology solifidianism doctrine that faith alone will ensure salvation solipsism theory that self-existence is the only certainty somatism materialism spatialism doctrine that matter has only spatial, temporal and causal properties spiritualism belief that nothing is real except the soul or spirit stercoranism belief that the consecrated Eucharist is digested and evacuated stoicism belief in indifference to pleasure or pain subjectivism doctrine that all knowledge is subjective substantialism belief that there is a real existence underlying phenomena syndicalism doctrine of direct worker control of capital synergism belief that human will and divine spirit cooperate in salvation terminism doctrine that there is a time limit for repentance thanatism belief that the soul dies with the body 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 theopsychism belief that the soul is of a divine nature thnetopsychism belief that the soul dies with the body, to be reborn on day of judgement titanism spirit of revolt or defiance against social conventions tolerationism doctrine of toleration of religious differences totemism belief that a group has a special kinship with an object or animal transcendentalism theory that emphasizes that which transcends perception transmigrationism belief that soul passes into other body at death trialism doctrine that humans have three separate essences (body, soul, spirit) tritheism belief that the members of the Trinity are separate gods triumphalism belief in the superiority of one particular religious creed tuism theory that individuals have a second or other self tutiorism doctrine that one should take the safer moral course tychism theory that accepts role of pure chance ubiquitarianism belief that Christ is everywhere undulationism theory that light consists of waves universalism belief in universal salvation utilitarianism belief that utility of actions determines moral value vitalism the doctrine that there is a vital force behind life voluntarism belief that the will dominates the intellect zoism doctrine that life originates from a single vital principle zoomorphism conception of a god or man in animal form zootheism attribution of divine qualities to animals



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