What Is Integralism?
Integralism, integrationism or integrism is an interpretation of Catholic social teaching that argues the principle that the Catholic faith should be the basis of public law and public policy within civil society,… Part of the Religious family.
Definition
Integralism, integrationism or integrism is an interpretation of Catholic social teaching that argues the principle that the Catholic faith should be the basis of public law and public policy within civil society, wherever the preponderance of Catholics within that society makes this possible.
Definition quoted from Wikipedia: Integralism (text available under CC BY-SA 4.0; checked October 20, 2026).
Core ideas
- Political order ordered to religious ends.
- The common good over individual autonomy.
- Rejection of liberal neutrality.
Origins
Catholic political thought; revived in the 2010s.
Core ideas, origins and thinkers: Atlas summary.
Where Integralism sits on the Atlas maps
| Map dimension | Score (0–100) | Position | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic Collective / planned ↔ Market | 43 | near the center | |
| Social Progressive ↔ Traditional | 100 | strongly toward traditional | |
| Authority Libertarian ↔ Authoritarian | 82 | toward authoritarian | |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 90 | strongly toward nationalist | |
| Foreign policy Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 35 | toward non-intervention |
All nine underlying dimensions
| Dimension | Score | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Economic ownership Collective ownership ↔ Private ownership | 60 | near the center |
| Civil liberties Civil liberty ↔ State restrictions | 68 | toward state restrictions |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 90 | strongly toward nationalist |
| Social and cultural values Progressive ↔ Traditionalist | 100 | strongly toward traditionalist |
| Political governance Democratic ↔ Autocratic | 97 | strongly toward autocratic |
| Equality and hierarchy Egalitarian ↔ Hierarchical | 89 | strongly toward hierarchical |
| Economic management Free market ↔ State planning | 82 | toward state planning |
| Military intervention Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 35 | toward non-intervention |
| Religion and government Secular state ↔ Religious authority | 100 | strongly toward religious authority |
These positions are estimates on the Atlas’s nine-dimension scale, produced by running the tradition’s core principles through the same questions and scoring used for test-takers. They are interpretations for comparison, not objective measurements. How scores are made.
Estimated positions on key questions
| Statement | Position | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| The means of production should ultimately be owned collectively. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| National borders should become less important over time. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Traditional values should guide what society considers right and wrong. | Strongly agrees | estimated from doctrine |
| The government should be able to restrict how certain religions are practiced, such as their places of worship, clothing or schools. | Agrees | estimated from doctrine |
| A strong leader who gets things done matters more than following proper procedures. | Strongly agrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Markets generally distribute goods more effectively than government planners. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| National security can justify restrictions on what journalists publish. | Strongly agrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Class distinctions should gradually disappear. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Military power should be used proactively when serious external threats are emerging. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
| Regulations on business should be minimized whenever possible. | Strongly disagrees | estimated from doctrine |
Related ideologies
Main differences from the closest ideologies
- Compared with Islamism, Integralism sits 8 points further toward non-intervention on the foreign policy dimension.
- Compared with Falangeism, Integralism sits 16 points further toward non-intervention on the foreign policy dimension.
- Compared with Theocracy, Integralism sits 16 points further toward non-intervention on the foreign policy dimension.
Figures with the closest estimated positions
Closeness of estimated positions only; this does not mean these people identify with Integralism.
Sources
Position last reviewed: not yet reviewed individually.