deffinations Flashcards
Dialectical approach
Change happens through conflict and contradictions.
Bourgeoisie
Owners of wealth and businesses.
Proletariat
Working class who sell labor.
Petite bourgeoisie
Small business owners between rich and poor.
Lumpenproletariat
The unemployed and outcasts of society.
Means of production
Factories, land, and tools used to make goods.
Surplus value
The profit capitalists make by underpaying workers.
Reserve army of labour
Unemployed workers used to keep wages low.
Class consciousness
When workers realize their exploitation.
False consciousness
When workers believe capitalist ideas that go against their interests.
Alienation (4 types) – Feeling disconnected from:
Product (not owning what you make),
Process (no control over work),
Others (competition over community),
Self (work feels meaningless)
Intelligentsia
Educated thinkers who can support or oppose capitalism.
Emancipation
Freedom from oppression.
Economic determinism
Economy shapes everything in society.
Immiseration of the proletariat
Capitalism makes workers poorer over time.
Autarky
Economic self-sufficiency (no reliance on others).
Fascismo
The Italian word for fascism (unity, authoritarianism).
Nationalism
Extreme loyalty to one’s nation.
Totalitarian state
A government with total control over life.
Negative eugenics
Stopping “undesirable” people from having children.
Positive eugenics
Encouraging “desirable” people to have children.
Nation
A group of people with a shared culture and identity.
State
The political system that governs a nation.
Fuehrerprinzip
The belief in a single, all-powerful leader (e.g., Hitler).
Xenophobia
Fear or hatred of foreigners.
Ethnocentrism
Believing your race/nation is superior.
Public works programs
Government projects (e.g., roads, buildings) to create jobs.
Charismatic leader
A leader who gains power through personality.
Hitler Youth
A Nazi group that trained young people in fascist beliefs.
Tradition
Keeping old customs and values.
Social fabric
Society is interconnected, not just individuals.
Reform vs. revolution
Slow change is better than radical change.
Blue Tory
Supports free markets and small government.
Red Tory
Supports tradition but also social programs.
Intergenerational consent
Respecting past generations when making decisions.
Politics of delay
Slowing down reforms to avoid sudden change.
Contractarianism vs. conventionalism –
Contractarianism – Society is based on agreements.
Conventionalism – Society evolves naturally over time
‘Political philosophy of imperfection’
People aren’t perfect, so we need guidance and rules.
Role of the senate
To slow down changes and ensure stability.
Atomistic vs. organic society –
Atomistic – Society is made of individuals.
Organic – Society is a whole shaped by traditions.
Real vs. metaphysical rights
Real rights – Practical (e.g., property rights).
Metaphysical rights – Abstract (e.g., human rights).
Natural aristocracy
The idea that educated elites should lead.
Burke on prejudice
Prejudice helps society by keeping traditions.
Androgynous
No fixed gender roles.
Sex vs. gender
Sex = Biological (male/female).
Gender = Social roles (man/woman).
Cisgender
Gender matches birth sex.
Doing gender
Acting in ways society expects for your gender.
Intersectionality
Gender, race, and class all affect oppression.
Suffrage movement
Fight for women’s right to vote.
Glass ceiling
Invisible barriers stopping women from top jobs.
Dual systems theory
Capitalism and patriarchy work together to oppress women.
Women as reserve army of labour
Women are used as temporary workers when needed.
Feminization of poverty
Women are more likely to be poor.
Patriarchy
A system where men dominate.
Women as ‘other’ to men
Women are seen only in relation to men.
White supremacy capitalist patriarchy
The system where racism, capitalism, and patriarchy work together.
“The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house”
Oppression can’t be ended using the same system that created it.
