Political Ideologies Revision Document PDF

Political Ideologies Revision Document 1. Anarchism - Definition: A belief in stateless societies where voluntary institutions self-govern. Rejects the authority of governments. - Key Beliefs: Opposes authority, values individual freedom or the collective good, anti-gover...

Political Ideologies Revision Document 1. Anarchism - Definition: A belief in stateless societies where voluntary institutions self-govern. Rejects the authority of governments. - Key Beliefs: Opposes authority, values individual freedom or the collective good, anti-government. - Founder(s)/Key Figures: William Godwin, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, Mikhail Bakunin. - Real-Life Examples: Paris Commune (1871), anarchist state attempts in Ukraine (1918-21), Spanish Civil War involvement (1936-39). 2. Liberalism - Definition: Advocates democracy, free elections, and individual rights, with a capitalist economy. - Key Beliefs: Democracy, private property, individual freedoms, free trade. -Founder(s)/Key Figures: John Locke, Thomas Paine, George Washington. - Real-Life Examples: American and French Revolutions, abolition of the feudal system in France, Code Napoléon. 3. Marxism/Communism** - Definition: A theory advocating class struggle, leading to the overthrow of capitalism and establishment of a socialist society. - Key Beliefs: Class struggle, proletariat revolution, communal ownership of property. - Founder(s)/Key Figures: Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Vladimir Lenin, Mao Zedong. - Real-Life Examples: Russian Revolution (1917), Chinese Communist Revolution (1949), policies under Stalin and Mao. 4. Fascism** - Definition**: An authoritarian ideology promoting strong government, militarism, and nationalism. - Key Beliefs: Authoritarianism, anti-communism, national unity, glorification of war. - Founder(s)/Key Figures: Benito Mussolini, Adolf Hitler. - Real-Life Examples: Mussolini's Italy (1922-1945), Nazi Germany (1933-1945), invasion of Abyssinia, Holocaust. 5. National Socialism (Nazism) - Definition: A far-right ideology emphasizing racial purity, authoritarian government, and expansionism. - Key Beliefs: Aryan supremacy, Lebensraum, anti-Semitism, militarism. - Founder(s)/Key Figures: Adolf Hitler. - **Real-Life Examples: Holocaust, WWII, Nuremberg Laws. 6. Social Darwinism - Definition: The application of Darwin's evolutionary theories to society, promoting the survival of the fittest in human affairs. - Key Beliefs: Strong should dominate the weak, laissez-faire policies, opposition to welfare. - **Founder(s)/Key Figures: Herbert Spencer, Francis Galton (eugenics). - **Real-Life Examples: Imperialist policies, eugenics programs in the US, Germany, and other countries. - Possible Topics for Discussion: The dangers of misapplying scientific concepts to social policy. 8. Feminism - Definition: A movement seeking equal political, economic, and social rights for women. - Key Beliefs: Gender equality, reproductive rights, fight against patriarchal structures. - Founder(s)/Key Figures: Simone de Beauvoir, Betty Friedan, Emmeline Pankhurst.