wilsonianism
Etymology
From Wilsonian + -ism.
wilsonianism means an approach to foreign policy typical of US president Woodrow Wilson, characterized by the spread of capitalist democracy and an emphasis on openness, conflict resolution, and the self-determination of peoples. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 89 out of 100.
Why this word is great
WILSONIANISM — [Noun] A foreign policy doctrine advocating the global promotion of democratic governance, national self-determination, and institutionalized international cooperation. From the surname Wilson (referring to Woodrow Wilson) + the suffix -ian (forming adjectives meaning 'pertaining to') + the suffix -ism (forming nouns denoting a distinctive practice, system, or philosophy). Unlike realpolitik, which grounds statecraft in an amoral calculus of power, or isolationism, which seeks shelter behind national borders, Wilsonianism is an act of moral architecture. It is the hopeful scaffolding of the League of Nations erected over the wreckage of trench lines; the earnest cartographer redrawing borders along ethnographic lines in a Parisian salon; and the persistent, century-old conviction that a parliament of mankind might yet be convened—a testament to the profound tension between the innocence of ideal forms and the weary knowledge of the world as it is.
noun
- An approach to foreign policy typical of US president Woodrow Wilson, characterized by the spread of capitalist democracy and an emphasis on openness, conflict resolution, and the self-determination of peoples.
- The policies of Harold Wilson, British statesman.