Pluralism

Pluralism in general denotes a diversity of views or stands, rather than a single approach or method.

Pluralism or pluralist may refer more specifically to:

• Pluralism (political philosophy), the acknowledgement of a diversity of political systems
• Pluralism (political theory), belief that there should be diverse and competing centres of power in society
• Legal pluralism, the existence of differing legal systems in a population or area
• Pluralist democracy, a political system with more than one center of power

• Philosophical pluralism, a doctrine according to which many basic substances make up reality
• Pluralist school, a Greek school of pre-Socratic philosophers
• Epistemological pluralism or methodological pluralism, the view that some phenomena require multiple methods to account for their nature
• Value pluralism, the idea that several values may be equally correct and yet in conflict with each other

• Religious pluralism, the acceptance of all religious paths as equally valid, promoting coexistence
• Clerical pluralism, the holding of multiple ecclesiastical offices
• Pluralism Project, a Harvard-affiliated project to investigate religious diversity in the United States

• Cosmic pluralism, the belief in numerous other worlds beyond the Earth, which may possess the conditions suitable for life
• Cultural pluralism, when small groups within a larger society maintain their unique cultural identities
• Media pluralism, the representation of different cultural groups and political opinions in the media
• Pluralist commonwealth, a systemic model of wealth democratization
• Pluralistic ignorance, a phenomenon in which people mistakenly believe that others predominantly hold an opinion different from their own
• Pluralism in economics, a campaign to enrich the academic discipline of economics