Definitions of various isms
| 'ism | 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 |
| animism | attribution of soul to inanimate objects |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| conceptualism | theory that universal truths exist as mental concepts |
| conservatism | belief in maintaining political and social traditions |
| 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 |
| 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 | belief that fundamental universal principle is creation of wholes |
| holobaptism | belief in baptism with total immersion in water |
| humanism | belief that human interests and mind are paramount |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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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