Isms

Marxism

A method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a materialist interpretation of historical development to understand class relations and social conflict.

Labor Theory of Added Value

The economic theory suggesting that the value of a commodity is determined by the amount of socially necessary labor required to produce it.

Locke's Tabula Rasa

The philosophical idea that humans are born as a "blank slate" and that all knowledge and identity are shaped by experience and environment.

Marx’s Stages of History

The theory that human society evolves through specific economic phases

Means of Production

The physical and non-financial inputs used in the production of goods, such as factories, tools, raw materials, and land.

Nationalism

An ideology and movement that promotes the interests of a particular nation, often emphasizing a shared culture, language, and the right to self-determination.

Neoclassicism

A movement in art, architecture, and literature that draws inspiration from the "classical" styles and standards of ancient Greece and Rome.

Positivism

A philosophical system that recognizes only that which can be scientifically verified or proven through logic and mathematics, rejecting metaphysics and religion.

Proletariat

The social class of wage-earners who do not own the means of production and must sell their labor power to survive.

Rationalism

The belief that opinions and actions should be based on reason and knowledge rather than on religious belief or emotional responses.

Romanticism

An intellectual and artistic movement of the late 18th century that emphasized inspiration, subjectivity, the power of nature, and the importance of emotion.

Socialism

An economic and political system in which the means of production are owned or regulated by the community as a whole rather than by private individuals.

Utilitarianism

An ethical theory which states that the best action is the one that maximizes "utility," usually defined as that which produces the greatest good for the greatest number.

Jejune

A term describing something that is naive, simplistic, uninteresting, or lacking in nutritional or intellectual substance.

(Classical) Liberalism

A political and economic philosophy that advocates for individual freedoms, limited government intervention, private property rights, and free-market capitalism.

Alienation of Labor

A concept by Karl Marx describing how capitalism disconnects workers from the products of their work, the process of production, their own humanity, and each other.

Anarchism

A political theory that rejects all forms of involuntary hierarchy and government, advocating instead for a society based on voluntary cooperation and self-governing institutions.

Bourgeoisie

In Marxist theory, the social class that owns the means of production and employs wage labor, thereby holding the majority of wealth and power in a capitalist society.

Capital

Money, land, factories, machinery, and other assets used by the bourgeoisie to produce goods and services for the purpose of generating profit.

Class Conflict

The ongoing tension and struggle between different social classes—specifically the exploiters and the exploited—over wealth, power, and resources.

Class Solidarity

The unity and collective consciousness of a social class, particularly the working class, based on shared interests and the recognition of common goals.

Communism

A social and economic ideology aiming for a classless, stateless society where private property is abolished and resources are distributed based on need.

Darwinism

The scientific theory of biological evolution stating that all species of organisms arise and develop through the natural selection of small, inherited variations.

Social Darwinism

The application of "survival of the fittest" to human societies and economics, often used to justify imperialism, racism, and the neglect of the poor.

Determinism

The philosophical belief that all events, including human actions and historical developments, are determined by causes external to the individual will.

Dialectical Materialism

The Marxist theory that political and historical events result from the conflict of social forces (the "dialectic") driven by material and economic needs.

Exploitation

The act of using someone unfairly for one's own benefit; in economics, it refers to the practice of paying workers less than the full value of the wealth they create.

Fabians/“Revisionists”

Socialists who believe that social change and the transition to a socialist state should be achieved through gradual, democratic reforms rather than revolution.

Feudalism

The dominant social system in medieval Europe, where land was held by lords and worked by peasants (serfs) in exchange for protection and a share of the harvest.

Industrial Revolution

The period of rapid social and economic change beginning in the 18th century characterized by the shift from hand production to machine manufacturing.