IDEOLOGY. The role of ideas in politics How Ideology Influences Politics… What people think and...
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Transcript of IDEOLOGY. The role of ideas in politics How Ideology Influences Politics… What people think and...
The role of ideas in politics
How Ideology Influences Politics…• What people think and believe about society, power,
rights, etc., determines their actions• Everything has to pass through the mind before a
person acts• How do ideas and beliefs appear in our minds?
• Critical examination of reality – thinking for oneself• Influence of others’– family, community, education, mass
media, etc.Some forms of teaching imprison the mind
Others liberate the mind, enabling it to think critically…
2 Central Concepts
• Political culture – the broad pattern of political orientations shared by a large group of people (a nation, a region, a social class, an ethnic group, etc.)
• Political ideology – a system of political ideas, developed for the purposes of political action (governing a country, launching a social movement or a political party, organizing a revolution – or a counterrevolution, etc.)
What are political ideologies for?
• To provide people with programs of political actionthat will govern societies or ultimately lead to change
• For integration or conflict, you need an ideology – a coherent set of ideas for purposeful action
• The earliest ideologies were religions. Many of the earliest rulers in history were priests.
• In the Modern Age, political ideologies have become increasingly secular (non-religious, some anti-religious), but religion still continues to serve as an important source for ideology
So, What is Politics All About?
• The very essence of political ideology is to differ from another ideology on what to do concerning the status quo (the existing order of things):
• Keep it OR Change it.
• At the core of every political idea, every political action is a choice between YES or NO.
• The differences between all ideology is rooted in basic assumptions about:• Human Nature – are humans naturally peaceful,
cooperative, rational?• Individual vs Society: which interests come first?• Equality: Should individuals be equal & how
much social inequality is acceptable?
Orthodoxy vs. Pluralism
At issue: Orthodoxy vs. Pluralism• Orthodoxy (pre-modern view linked to
conservatism): is traditional in nature, the rulers maintains one ideology as dominant – to foster unity and harmony in society. (Political Right)• UNITY THROUGH UNIFORMITY
• Can work only: in traditional, pre-modern societies – or, in societies in transition to modernity, in periods of extreme crisis. Requires generally low educational levels
Pluralism
• Pluralism (modern view linked to liberalism): the rulers allow different ideologies in society to compete. (Political Left) UNITY THROUGH TOLERATION OF DIFFERENCES
“E pluribus unum”• Works better in developed, modern and complex
societies with high educational levels• Are there limits to toleration? Should some ideologies
be banned?• Is there such a thing as liberal orthodoxy?
Political Spectrum: From Left to Right
• Political ideologies, through opposition, competition, fusion, mixing, etc. exist in constant interaction with each other
• Together, they form a political spectrum. This political spectrum is useful as a tool of political analysis, i.e. to gauge our political views
The Spectrum in a Nutshell
• The Right is:Conservative – preserves the status quo, opposes changeReactionary – reacts to change w/ force, invested in the old orderFascist – gov maintains control, suppresses pluralism to achieve
unity through orthodoxy
• The Left is:Radical – goes to the roots of problems, changes the foundations of
societySocialist – advances the interests of society against the interests of
elitesCommunist – abolishes private property to achieve equality and
social harmony, suppresses pluralism to achieve unity through orthodoxy
• The Centre is:Liberal – expands the scope of freedom, accepts change, asserts the
primacy of individual rights, borrow ideas from Left and Right
Far Left Centre- Left Centre Centre- Right Far Right
Political spectrum: the standard linear model
Socialists Liberal Conservatives Ultraconservatives
Communists Liberals Conservatives Fascists
Radicals Reactionaries
Political spectrum: the circular model, based on Clinton Rossiter
THE LEFT:
change, freedom, equality, labour
THE RIGHT:
status quo, order, inequality, capital
FASCISM COMMUNISM
CONSERVATISM LIBERALISM
the state, war
the market, trade
Fascism (National socialism)
Welfare state liberalism
Social democracy
Democratic socialism
Reform communism (market socialism)
Totalitarian communism
Neoliberalism Neoconservatism
Traditional conservatism
Ultraconservatism
Red - socialism
White - capitalism
Socialism vs. capitalism
Fascism (National socialism)
Welfare state liberalism
Social democracy
Democratic socialism
Reform communism (market socialism)
Totalitarian communism
Neoliberalism Neoconservatism
Traditional conservatism
Ultraconservatism
White – elitist (discourage popular participation in politics)
Red – populist (mobilize the masses)
Elitism vs. populism
Fascism (national socialism)
Welfare state liberalism
Social democracy
Democratic socialism
Reform communism (market socialism)
Totalitarian communism
Neoliberalism Neoconservatism
Traditional conservatism
Ultraconservatism
White – reject liberal democracy
Red – support liberal democracy
For or against liberal democracy