essentialism

[ uh-sen-shuh-liz-uh m ]
/ əˈsɛn ʃəˌlɪz əm /

noun Education.

a doctrine that certain traditional concepts, ideals, and skills are essential to society and should be taught methodically to all students, regardless of individual ability, need, etc.
Compare progressivism.

Origin of essentialism

First recorded in 1935–40; essential + -ism

OTHER WORDS FROM essentialism

es·sen·tial·ist, noun, adjective

Words nearby essentialism

essential oil, essential pentosuria, essential pruritus, essential tachycardia, essential telangiectasia, essentialism, essentiality, essentialize, essentially, essequibo, esser graft

British Dictionary definitions for essentialism

essentialism
/ (ɪˈsɛnʃəˌlɪzəm) /

noun

philosophy one of a number of related doctrines which hold that there are necessary properties of things, that these are logically prior to the existence of the individuals which instantiate them, and that their classification depends upon their satisfaction of sets of necessary conditions
the doctrine that education should concentrate on teaching basic skills and encouraging intellectual self-discipline

Derived forms of essentialism

essentialist, noun