neutralist

A neutralist is a person or position that endorses neutrality—avoiding formal alignment, intervention, or partiality—in political, ethical, or scientific contexts. In politics, a neutralist advocates for nonalignment in international affairs, refusal to join military alliances, or strict nonintervention in other states’ conflicts. Historically, neutrality has been practiced by states such as Switzerland and Sweden and by leaders involved in the Non-Aligned Movement during the Cold War. Political neutralism can be motivated by strategic independence, ethical commitments to impartiality, or domestic pressures.

In evolutionary biology, neutralist denotes support for the neutral theory of molecular evolution, which attributes much genetic variation and molecular change to random drift of selectively neutral mutations rather than to natural selection. Motoo Kimura is a central figure associated with this perspective. The neutralist view prompted a long-standing debate with selectionists, who emphasize the adaptive role of natural selection in shaping genetic variation.

As a general philosophical stance, neutralism can refer to impartiality in conflict resolution, journalism, or ethics—seeking to minimize bias and balance competing claims. Critics argue that strict neutrality can mask moral responsibilities, tacitly support the status quo, or overlook structural injustices. In science, the neutralist-selectionist debate has evolved into a more nuanced understanding that both drift and selection influence genetic change, with the relative importance varying by context.