EURO ISMS

Absolutism

A system of government in which a ruler holds total power, often justified by divine right (e.g., Louis XIV of France).

Constitutionalism

A form of government in which power is limited by law and balanced between authority and liberty (e.g., England after the Glorious Revolution).

Liberalism

A political ideology advocating for individual rights, civil liberties, representative government, and free markets.

Conservatism

A political philosophy emphasizing tradition, social stability, and maintaining established institutions (e.g., Metternich and the Congress of Vienna).

Nationalism

The belief that people with a shared language, culture, or history should form an independent nation

Romanticism

A cultural and philosophical movement emphasizing emotion, nature, individualism, and national identity; response to Enlightenment rationalism.

Socialism

A political and economic theory advocating for public ownership of the means of production and wealth redistribution to reduce inequality.

Communism

A radical form of socialism developed by Karl Marx aiming for a classless, stateless society and the abolition of private property.

Fascism

A far

Feminism

The movement for social, political, and economic equality between men and women (e.g., Mary Wollstonecraft, suffragettes).

Imperialism

The policy of extending a nation's power through colonization, military force, or political influence over other territories.

Capitalism

An economic system based on private property, free markets, and profit

Realpolitik

A pragmatic system of politics based on practical objectives rather than ideals or ethics (e.g., Bismarck’s unification of Germany).

Totalitarianism

A system of government that seeks to control all aspects of public and private life through coercion and surveillance.

Humanism

A Renaissance intellectual movement focused on classical learning, secularism, and the potential of the individual.

Skepticism

A philosophical attitude of doubting accepted truths and questioning authority; key in the Scientific Revolution.

Secularism

A shift away from religious explanations toward reason, science, and worldly concerns; essential to Renaissance and Enlightenment thought.

Zionism

A late 19th

Anarchism

A radical political theory opposing all forms of government, advocating for a stateless society based on voluntary cooperation.

Utopian Socialism

An early form of socialism promoting ideal communities without class conflict, associated with thinkers like Charles Fourier and Robert Owen.

Utilitarianism

A philosophy that promotes the greatest good for the greatest number; associated with Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill.

Nihilism

A Russian revolutionary ideology rejecting all traditional authorities and values, associated with 19th

Existentialism

A 20th

Social Darwinism

The application of Darwin’s theory of natural selection to human society, often used to justify imperialism and racial hierarchy.

Militarism

The belief in building up strong armed forces and preparing for war as a tool of national policy; a key cause of WWI.