definitions Flashcards
an ideology
A set of beliefs and values with political consequences shared by a group that helps to understand the world and recommends a course of action.
beliefs
a subjective attitude that a proposition is true or a state of affairs is the case.
belief about something eg how humans are - not smart
values
principles or standards of behaviour; one’s judgement of what is important in life.
shaped by beliefs eg don’t think people are nice so value in the community
power
ability to act or influence
authority
right to command or give orders
each ideology on meliorism
Liberalism and socialism yes
conservatism no
each ideology on egalitarian
Liberalism and socialism yes
conservatism no
each ideology on relativism
Liberalism and socialism no
conservatism yes
each ideology as perfectionist
conservatism and socialism yes
liberalism maybe
each ideology as communitarian
Liberalism and socialism yes
conservatism no
communitarian
Communitarianism is a political and social philosophy that emphasizes the importance of community, shared values, and collective responsibility in shaping society. At its core, communitarianism challenges the excessive focus on individual rights and autonomy often associated with liberal individualism. Instead, communitarians argue for a balance between individual freedoms and the well-being of the community as a whole.
relativist
believe what is right or wrong differs from society to society
o This is a value not a belief – brought up in different countries, at different times etc.
rationalist
Thinking or behaving reasonably or logically
a person advocating a materialist and empiricist approach to knowledge
equality
Define ‘equality’ as relating to one another as equals with the same dignity afforded to human beings (Anderson, 1999).
coherence criteria
the quality of being logical and consistent.
collectivism
the practice or principle of giving a group priority over each individual in it
multiple definitions though
eg also the need to replace competition with cooperation.
collectivism - economic sense
the ownership of land and the means of production by the people or the state, as a political principle or system
collective ownership
ownership of something, typically land or industrial assets, by all members of a group for the mutual benefit of all.
income-generating property is owned in common by everyone in a “society”, and thus everyone has the collective right to the net income generated by the use of those means of production and the collective right to dispose of the property which generates this income. This need not imply that this net income is simply divided up equally among everyone.
liberal democracy
a democratic system of government in which individual rights and freedoms are officially recognized and protected, and the exercise of political power is limited by the rule of law: the objective of liberal democracy is not limitless freedom.
meliorism
the view that the world can be made better by human effort. In political contexts, the view that the world can be made better by government effort, a rather more controversial doctrine.
i.e view that society can head in a positive direction
exploitation
Taking systematic advantage of other people in order to appropriate the fruits of their activities.
Marxists regard exploitation as a fundamental feature of capitalism, wherein the wages that workers receive are, in fact, less than the economic value of the work that they perform in order to produce commodities for sale. The profits accrued by capitalists thus, according to Marxists, are derived from workers and not from the capitalists’ own investments.
alienation
mean a feeling of estrangement and separation from other people. In existential psychology this meaning is extended to include the perception that one is alienated or estranged from one’s ‘real self’ because of being forced to conform to society’s expectations
social justice
social justice refers to the fair distribution of resources, opportunities, and privileges within a society, with particular attention to addressing systemic inequalities and ensuring that all members of society have the ability to lead fulfilling lives. Social justice encompasses both distributive justice, which concerns the fair allocation of resources and benefits, and procedural justice, which focuses on fair decision-making processes and the protection of rights
Rawls defines social justice as fairness in the distribution of the benefits and burdens of society.
social equality
social equality refers to the condition where all individuals or groups within a society enjoy the same status, rights, opportunities, and treatment regardless of their background, identity, or social position. Social equality encompasses both formal legal equality and substantive equality in terms of access to resources, opportunities, and social goods