Define Your Terms

[Rival]

Since the political area is out of order for now, I'm putting this here.

This is not a debate. Please do not take others to task for what they say here; albeit polite questions are allowed. Thanks.

All I'd like is folks in this thread to tell us how they define these terms:

Conservatism.

Liberalism.

Rightism/The Right.

Leftism/The Left.

Capitalism.

Socialism.

Libertarianism.

Fascism.

Communism.

Nation.

State.

I'd prefer it if the definitions do not include the names of people or even parties; just explain the idea behind the concept.

 

[Brickjectivity]

Conservatism -- keeping policy the same as it is

Liberalism -- dissatisfaction with how things are done and a desire to try new or older policy

Rightism/The Right -- unsure

Leftism/The Left -- unsure

Capitalism -- economies should be governed by the hidden hand of price

Socialism -- economies governed by voting: prices, production, who produces, how and where. All belongs to all.

Libertarianism -- there is no divine right to rule. Each individual must be left alone as much as possible.

Fascism -- faith in a good leader. This is a form of monarchism.

Communism -- socialism established by violent revolution against political or economic opposition.

Nation -- physically claimed territory owned by people who respect the boundaries of other territories.

State -- the name given to the government over a territory, sometimes synonymous with the territory itself

 

[icehorse]

Hi @Rival

I hope this isn't too off-topic, but I think it's important to note that - in practice - ideas like capitalism, socialism and so on are never implemented in a 100% pure fashion. In practice, these systems are always shades of gray. E.g. the U.S. is a blend of capitalism and socialism. A country like Sweden is also a blend, albeit probably slightly more socialistic than the U.S.

 

[Rival]

Hi @Rival

I hope this isn't too off-topic, but I think it's important to note that - in practice - ideas like capitalism, socialism and so on are never implemented in a 100% pure fashion. In practice, these systems are always shades of gray. E.g. the U.S. is a blend of capitalism and socialism. A country like Sweden is also a blend, albeit probably slightly more socialistic than the U.S.

This is true, but I'm just looking for the raw idea.

 

[Eddi]

Conservatism.

The tendency to resist change - and/or to want to even want to turn the clocks back

Liberalism

The belief that Liberty is good, and an ideal to work towards

Rightism/The Right.

Thinking tradition is better than liberty and liking capialism

Leftism/The Left.

Thinking that progress is better than tradition and liking socialism

Capitalism

The system in which some people work for others - in exchange of money so as to produce a profit for the owners of "the means of production"

Socialism

The system when people work for other people i.e. the common good - to produce a commodity or service

Libertarianism

Preventing the state from interfering in capitalism - letting capitalism run rampant

Fascism

Conservative socialism? That's strongly authoritarian too, and nationalistic?

Communism

A utopian ideal, completely unrealistic unless you're an isolated tribe of 20 people in the middle of a jungle

Nation

A society defined by physical national boundaries and a common ethnicity

State

"the institution with a monopoly on the legitimate use of force within a given area" - Weber (I'm paraphrasing!) - the apparatus through which a government governs. Or if you want to be Marxist, the apparatus through which the ruling class rules!

 

[Nakosis]

Since the political area is out of order for now, I'm putting this here.

This is not a debate. Please do not take others to task for what they say here; albeit polite questions are allowed. Thanks.

All I'd like is folks in this thread to tell us how they define these terms:

Conservatism. - independence/self reliance-US version

Liberalism. - Dependence on the government-US version

Rightism/The Right. - Pro free market

Leftism/The Left. - Pro regulated market

Capitalism. - Private ownership of the means of production

Socialism. - Government ownership of the means of production

Libertarianism. - Limited government

Fascism. - Authoritarian government

Communism. - Authoritarian Socialism

Nation. - A collection of states unified by a governmental authority

State. - A collection of municipalities unified by a governmental authority

 

[Secret Chief]

Since the political area is out of order for now, I'm putting this here.

This is not a debate. Please do not take others to task for what they say here; albeit polite questions are allowed. Thanks.

All I'd like is folks in this thread to tell us how they define these terms:

Conservatism.

Liberalism.

Rightism/The Right.

Leftism/The Left.

Capitalism.

Socialism.

Libertarianism.

Fascism.

Communism.

Nation.

State.

I'd prefer it if the definitions do not include the names of people or even parties; just explain the idea behind the concept.

Serious but tedious question - isn't this what dictionaries are for?

 

[osgart]

Conservatism

Keep government small as possible. Strong military. Strong police force. Let capitalism free to solve all problems.

Liberalism

Humanist morality. Social safety net. Regulated economy.

Rightism

Ultra conservative. Opposed to liberal government. No social safety nets.

Leftism

Regulate and legislate to make the country an equal opportunity nation for the working class, and the poor. Protect human rights from a humanist perspective.

Capitalism

Supply and demand. Wealth ownership. Economy drives society.

Socialism

The factors of production are owned by the common people. Shared wealth. Equality on every scale of society. No private interest.

Libertarianism

Strict Constitutional law interpreted to mean keep government as small as possible and let the economy run the country. Don't have any policy beyond necessity.

Fascism

Strong militant power and authoritarian rule where the few in power are the deciders of and dictators of people's lives.

Communism

The factors of production are owned by the ruling state. A failed social ideology of Karl Marx.

Nation

A collection of citizens governed by the laws of the land protected.

State

The ruling governing body of the land.

 

[Rival]

Serious but tedious question - isn't this what dictionaries are for?

I want to know how RFians are using these terms specifically. Cultural differences also don't help.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

(Sorry for using names, but given the names attached to some it's hard to leave some out entirely)

Conservatism

Basically sticking to tradition, keeping things as they are, a slowness/reluctance to change.
Often separated into economic policies as one thing of Conservatives, with religious and social conservatism as another group. The economic group, as far as I know, tend to be free-market Libertarians, typically upholding philosophies from those such as Friedman Milton.
The other is overwhelmingly fundamentalist Christians.

Liberalism

This one gets a bit tricky:
Classic liberalism follows in the trails of those like John Lock.
Neo liberalism tends to be hyperfanatical about capitalism and deregulated markets.
Academically there is the Liberalism more strongly associated with John Rawls, with a focus on a more equitable distribution of social and economic resources.
And the mainstream liberalism that often takes to Democrats, have a problem with illiberal ideology, and erroneously tends to use progressive as an interchangeable term with liberal.

Rightism/The

Traditionally a French Revolution term for those who sat on the right and sought reform.

Leftism/The Left.

Same origin as left, but referring to those who sat on the right side of the room and supported the monarchy.
Today these terms are largely useless, have required a y-axis be introduced (and we really need a z for dogma), are frequently used incorrectly as political buzz terms, but are decent enough reference points for those who realize these limitations and acknowledge liberals don't encompass the entire Left just as Conservatives do not encompass the entire Right.

Capitalism

An economic philosophy based on free markets that are themselves based on consumer demand.

Libertarianism

In an American sense, a term that promotes free-market capitalism and social freedoms, often attached to those such as Friedman Milton (who believed economic liberties and social liberties were the different sides of the same coin).
In a more broad and general sense, a philosophy emphasizing social liberties.

Fascism

A collective-based state that emphasises the strength of many (the bundle of sticks from the original Roman ideology), with a strong emphasis on nationalism and authoritarian control.

Communism

Socialism

I moved these two around because as their own terms, removed from Marx and Soviet Russia, and looking strictly at the words themselves, it's difficult to tell the two apart.
They both involve common, communal ownership and distribution of resources. From there, it really does seem to be whatever term an ideology attaches to itself. Not to get lazy, but even political philosophers argue and debate the differences and haven't actually settled it.

Nation

A collection of people's and states, typically (by definition, anyways) who share a common language, culture, background, traditions, and territory.

State

An organized political body governing a territory.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Fascism -- faith in a good leader. This is a form of monarchism.

And people wonder how we got here.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

Serious but tedious question - isn't this what dictionaries are for?

Serious but also tedious answer, dictionaries aren't good for handling dynamic ideas. An encyclopedia is better but still plenty of room for expansion in most. Most of these things I wouldn't feel comfortable giving a single paragraph, let alone single sentence definition, or I would preface that no single line could be authoritive and all encompassing. Same with most philosophy and social science.

 

[Rival]

Serious but also tedious answer, dictionaries aren't good for handling dynamic ideas. An encyclopedia is better but still plenty of room for expansion in most. Most of these things I wouldn't feel comfortable giving a single paragraph, let alone single sentence definition, or I would preface that no single line could be authoritive and all encompassing. Same with most philosophy and social science.

I was actually hoping to read paragraphs of explanations for these words, lol, not sentences; but this is RF I guess.

 

[JustGeorge]

Conservatism: Honestly, in its raw form, I don't think of politics. I think of someone with values that are more traditional in a different age(for example, my role as homemaker could be considered conservative,)

Liberalism: Again, not really political. I think of more. I want more. Give me a liberal amount of ice cream, as opposed to just a bit.

The Right: An enraged group of people that are concerned with preserving wealth and pushing their own cultural agenda.

The Left: An enraged group of people that are concerned with securing human rights and pushing their own cultural agenda.

(I don't think most people fall clearly into Right or Left, though a few do)

Capitalism: People having the right to sell and consume without consequence.

Socialism: People having the right to sell and consume while needing to remain mindful of the needs of others.

Fascism: A leader with too much control.

Communism: Depends on how its applied. In a small group, its that everyone is agreeing to adopt certain values/practices for the good of the group. In a large setting, it tends to be a government attempting to subdue a people into accepting its own agenda as their own.

Nation: A place dictated out by human made boundaries.

State: A smaller set of boundaries laid out within that nation(for example, I live in the state of Iowa, in the nation of the US).

 

[Brickjectivity]

And people wonder how we got here.

I was just a child when Reagan entered his first term. The man could do no wrong.

 

[Heyo]

Serious but tedious question - isn't this what dictionaries are for?

Yes, but it's more fun to see how different people misunderstood different dictionaries.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

FWIW, there was absolutely nothing funny intended by my previous comment. Being confused about fascism has consequences.

 

[Heyo]

All I'd like is folks in this thread to tell us how they define these terms:

Conservatism.

From "to conserve", keep things as they are, hold the status quo. Keeping traditions, resist change.
On one measure it is opposed by progressivism, on a more wide measure it is in the middle between progressivism and regressivism.

 

[blü 2]

Since the political area is out of order for now, I'm putting this here.

This is not a debate. Please do not take others to task for what they say here; albeit polite questions are allowed. Thanks.

All I'd like is folks in this thread to tell us how they define these terms:

Okay, The topic allows for sweeping generalizations so I'll take advantage of that.

Conservatism.
According to >research< reported 2008 - 2012, conservatives ─

tend to focus on the negative
have a stronger physiological response to threats
fear new experiences
have brains more reactive to fear​

so a conservative is someone who fears and avoids new experiences and situations, thus is emotionally dependent on the status quo.

Liberalism.
is the contrast to conservatism, thus a liberal is someone who likes and seeks new experiences and situations, and is not threatened by change as such.

Rightism/The Right.
The conservatives

Leftism/The Left.
The liberals.

Capitalism.
is a variety of economic programs derived from the idea that an economy works best when the means of production of goods and services are in private hands with free-market competition for the earning of profits. (And golly, now in the US it's awoken the long-asleep anti-trust laws to growl at Facebook.)

Socialism.
is a variety of economic programs derived from the idea that the population as a whole, as represented by the state, has a legitimate interest in the control of the means of production of goods and services and the operation of markets, and may intervene in those matters for the communal good.

Libertarianism.
is a political outlook that seeks to maximize the freedom of independent speech and action of the individual above the interests of the state or community.

Fascism.
is the operation of the state by an authoritarian and anti-democratic clique.

Communism.
is a variety of economic programs based on the idea of a classless society where the undemocratic state owns everything and acts on behalf of the community in all matters.

Nation.
is the end-product of our tribalism, a defined territory and its population and their government recognized as autonomous by other nations.

State.
can be either a synonym for 'nation' or a partly autonomous territory population and government which is part of a nation.

 

[Rival]

When I said 'define your terms' apparently what I really meant is, 'Define the philosophy of X according to your understanding whilst being as objective as possible'. I thought that was inherent, but there you go.