Diplomacy & Politics Glossary

A political theory that emphasizes the positive role of ongoing conflict and disagreement in democratic societies to foster vibrant political engagement.

Karl Marx's concept describing workers' estrangement from their labor, products, and self under capitalism.

Hannah Arendt's concept that ordinary people can commit evil acts simply by unreflective acceptance of orders and norms.

Describes the concept of ordinary individuals committing evil acts through thoughtlessness and adherence to orders without moral reflection, based on Hannah Arendt's analysis of Adolf Eichmann's trial.

Hannah Arendt's examination of Adolf Eichmann's trial highlighted the concept of the 'banality of evil' by showing how ordinary individuals can commit atrocities through unthinking obedience.

Natality in Arendt's philosophy highlights birth as the origin of new beginnings and political action, emphasizing human capacity for innovation and change.

Hannah Arendt’s concept that genuine political freedom arises from collective public action and speech.

Hannah Arendt’s analysis of totalitarian regimes characterized by ideological domination and mass terror.

Hannah Arendt's concept distinguishing active life involving labor, work, and action as fundamental to human political existence.

A concept describing how modern states regulate populations through techniques of power focused on bodies and life processes.

A political philosophy emphasizing tradition, social continuity, and gradual change rather than radical reform, based on Edmund Burke's ideas.

Edmund Burke's cautious approach to political change emphasizing tradition and gradual reform over radical revolution.

The aesthetic experience of awe mixed with terror that Edmund Burke linked to the sublime, influencing political rhetoric about power and authority.

A political philosophy valuing social continuity, tradition, and cautious reform over radical change.

A political philosophy valuing active participation in public life and the promotion of the common good over individualism.

A theory by Jürgen Habermas emphasizing the role of rational dialogue and consensus in establishing moral norms and legitimacy in democratic societies.

A principle concerning the fair allocation of resources and benefits within a society.

A feminist ethical theory emphasizing relational interdependence and responsibility over abstract principles.

A perspective focusing on individual freedom, responsibility, and authentic choice within political life.

Michel Foucault described governmentality as the techniques and strategies by which governments shape citizens' behavior and manage populations.

A philosophy and practice of nonviolent resistance to achieve political and social goals.

Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of self-rule emphasizing moral self-discipline, local autonomy, and nonviolent resistance.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau's idea of the collective interest of the people as the basis of legitimate political authority.

John Stuart Mill's doctrine that individual freedom should only be limited to prevent harm to others.

Friedrich Hayek's argument that government control of economic decision-making leads to loss of freedom and totalitarianism.

The theory that complex social orders arise naturally from individuals' actions without central planning.

A metaphor for a powerful sovereign created through social contract to impose order and prevent the chaos of the state of nature.

Thomas Hobbes's theory that individuals consent to an absolute sovereign to escape a violent state of nature.

Benedict Anderson's idea that nations are socially constructed communities imagined by their members.

John Locke's idea that legitimate government authority derives from the explicit or implicit consent of the governed.

John Locke's doctrine that individuals inherently possess rights to life, liberty, and property.

The principle that individuals have a natural right to own property derived from their labor and investment in resources.

The quality of boldness, pragmatism, and strategic skill that Machiavelli argued rulers must possess to maintain power and order.

A political doctrine emphasizing pragmatic, sometimes amoral strategies for acquiring and maintaining power, often associated with cunning and duplicity.

The estrangement of workers from their labor, products, and fellow humans under capitalist production systems.

Marx’s theory that the economic base shapes the cultural and political superstructure of society.

Karl Marx’s theory that economic structures and class relations drive historical change.

A principle stating that individual freedom should only be limited to prevent harm to others, supporting liberty and autonomy.

John Stuart Mill's concept advocating individual freedom unless it harms others, emphasizing personal autonomy and expression.

John Stuart Mill’s assertion that individual freedom should only be limited to prevent harm to others.

John Stuart Mill’s ethical theory that actions are right if they promote the greatest happiness for the greatest number.

A concept introduced by political philosopher Hannah Arendt describing the ability to remain in uncertainty and doubt without the need for immediate answers or closure.

Martha Nussbaum emphasized enabling individuals' capabilities as a framework for assessing justice and human development.

John Rawls's hypothetical scenario where individuals choose principles of justice behind a veil of ignorance.

Foucault's concept describing modern disciplinary societies' use of surveillance to control behavior.

Habermas's concept of a space where citizens engage in rational-critical debate to influence political action.

A hypothetical scenario where individuals choose justice principles without knowledge of their social status.

John Rawls's principle allowing social and economic inequalities only if they benefit the least advantaged members of society.

A theory of justice emphasizing fairness and equality, advocating principles chosen behind a veil of ignorance to ensure impartiality.

A theory proposing that social and economic inequalities are justified only if they benefit the least advantaged members of society.

Edmund Burke's critique emphasizing tradition and caution against radical societal change during the French Revolution.

The collective will of the citizens aimed at the common good, which legitimizes political authority when it reflects the general will.

A political philosophy concept that individuals consent, either explicitly or tacitly, to surrender some freedoms to an authority in exchange for protection of their remaining rights.

A political philosophy emphasizing that legitimate state authority arises from an implicit agreement among individuals to form a society and abide by its rules for mutual benefit.

A political theory applying the concept of natural selection to societies, suggesting that stronger groups survive and dominate weaker ones, often used historically to justify inequality and imperialism.

A theoretical condition posited by Hobbes describing human existence without political authority, characterized by chaos and conflict.

John Locke's concept that individuals are born without innate ideas, and knowledge is acquired through experience.

Hannah Arendt's concept that ordinary people can commit horrific acts through thoughtlessness and conformity.

A group of mid-20th century thinkers combining Marxist theory and critical social theory to analyze culture, politics, and society.

Niccolò Machiavelli's seminal work outlining pragmatic and often ruthless strategies for political leadership and power retention.

The theory that individuals consent, either explicitly or implicitly, to surrender some freedoms in exchange for social order and protection.

A theory in political philosophy positing that individuals consent, either explicitly or implicitly, to surrender some freedoms to authority in exchange for protection of rights.

A method of determining the morality of issues by imagining decision-makers ignorant of their own social status, to ensure fairness.