IDEOLOGY

SADIA TASLEEM
IDEOLOGY
 CONCEPT
 SPECTRUM OF POLITICAL ATTITUDES

 ANARCHISM

 ISLAMIC POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY

 LIBERALISM

 CONSERVATISM

 SOCIALISM

 FASCISM

 FEMINISM

 ENVIRONMENTALISM
IDEOLOGY - CONCEPT
 Ideology is the study of “ideas”/ science of “ideas”…
 It refers to the way, people think about the world and
their ideal concept of how to live in the world.
 The term ideology also may be used to describe the
shared beliefs of a group of people, for example; a
nation, a sect of a religion, or a group of theorists.
 The term was most likely coined first by the French
philosopher, Antony Louis Claude Destutt de Tracy, who
used the term in the 1700s to describe the more specific
definition of the science of ideas.
IDEOLOGY - CONCEPT
 More clearly, an ideology is a set of aims and ideas that
directs one’s goals, expectations, and actions.
 An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision,
as a way of looking at things.
 The main purpose behind an ideology is to offer change in
society, and adherence to a set of ideals where conformity
already exists, through a normative thought process.
 Ideologies are systems of abstract thought applied to
public matters and thus make this concept central to
politics.
 Implicitly every political tendency entails an ideology
whether or not it is propounded as an explicit system of
thought.
IDEOLOGY - CONCEPT
 Ideology: “Any comprehensive and mutually consistent
set of ideas by which a social group makes sense of the
world”. (Oxford dictionary of Politics)
 Ideology as formulated by political scientists:
 Ideologies provide an interpretation of the present and a view
of a desired future. The anticipated future is usually portrayed
as materially better than the present, and it is usually thought
to be attainable within a single generation.
 Each ideology includes a list of specific steps that can be
taken to accomplish its goals.
 Ideologies are oriented towards the masses.
 Ideologies are simply stated and presented in motivational
terms. Ideologies call for mass mobilization and collective
efforts to accomplish desired ends.
SOURCES OF IDEOLOGY
 Basic: Mind
 Development of Modern Science

 Industrial Revolution

_____________________________________________

 Masses are extremely important that’s why most of the

issues are discussed in emotional/motivational terms
 Ideologies are most often simply stated

 Futuristic Outlook
IDEOLOGY: DEFINITIONS
 “An organization of opinions, attitudes, and values-a
way of thinking about man and society We may speak of
an individual's total ideology or of his ideology with
respect to different areas of social life; politics,
economics, religion, minority groups, and so forth”
(Adorno et al. 1950: 2).
 “A consistent integrated pattern of thoughts and beliefs
explaining man's attitude towards life and his existence
in society, and advocating a conduct and action pattern
responsive to and commensurate with such thoughts and
beliefs” (Loewenstein 1953: 52).
IDEOLOGY: DEFINITIONS

 “Sets of ideas by which men posit, explain and justify ends

and means of organized social action, and specifically
political action, irrespective of whether such action aims to
pre- serve, amend, uproot or rebuild a given social order”
(Seliger 1976: 11).
 “A system of collectively held normative and reputedly
factual ideas and beliefs and attitudes advocating a particular
pattern of social relationships and arrangements, and/or
aimed at justifying a particular pattern of conduct, which its
proponents seek to promote, realise, pursue or maintain”
(Hamilton 1987: 39).
IDEOLOGY: DEFINITIONS
 “An emotion-laden, myth-saturated, action-related
system of beliefs and values about people and society,
legitimacy and authority, that is acquired to a large
extent as a matter of faith and habit. The myths and
values of ideology are communicated through symbols
in a simplified, economical, and efficient manner.
Ideological beliefs are more or less coherent, more or
less articulate, more or less open to new evidence and
information. Ideologies have a high potential for mass
mobilization, manipulation, and control; in that sense,
they are mobilized belief systems” (Rejai 1991: 11).
RELIGION & IDEOLOGY
 Both are grounded in a belief-system
 Both drive people to behave in a certain way…!

 However there are some marked differences between the two, too;
 A religion is defined by a moral code based on text most often referred
to scripture that is usually collected within a single volume. The
teaching of the scripture is the principal source behind the choices and
behavior of followers.
 Ideology, on the other hand, does not refer back to a singular source.
 The source of belief-systems as well as the communicator of those ideas
are treated differently in both contexts i.e. Religion & Ideology.
 Ideology, according to Louis Althusser, is the inculcation of ideas
through their reproduction by such apparatuses as the media, the
educational system and even the religious infrastructure of the
prevailing power.
 Ideology and religion do intermingle at some points thereby generating
a lot of confusion.
THE SPECTRUM OF POLITICAL ATTITUDES Magnitude of
proposed change??

Political Values  Political Behavior  Political Change

Radical Liberal Moderate Conservative Reactionary

Left Right

Progressive Retrogressive
The Political Spectrum
Status-quo

Progressive: Change from status quo to something new and different

Retrogressive: Return to a policy or institution that has been used by
that society in the past.
KEY ASPECTS
 Variance in political attitudes or opinions from issue to issue:
Where do we stand in such cases?
 How do we identify ourselves with a particular school of thought
or place us on one side of the spectrum instead of the other?
 Depends on the frequency with respect to our position on policy issues
… where do we fall more often… (we can always identify a general
pattern)
 Proposition on Political Change: “The more basic the change, the
more unpredictable, disruptive, and uncontrollable its effects”.
 Another important aspect is the speed at which people want
change to occur.
 Last aspect involves the “method” used to accomplish it…
multitudes of ways: officially or unofficially, legally or illegally,
smoothly or abruptly, peacefully or violently…
 Some generalizations about the methods employed for political change
can however be made.
WHY SHOULD WE BOTHER ABOUT TERMS DEPICTING
POLITICAL ATTITUDES?
 We need to understand each term on the political spectrum to
determine the specific attitude of each group toward the concept of
political change!
 RADICALS: People who find themselves extremely discontented with
the status quo. As a result they wish an immediate and profound change in
the existing order, advocating something new and different.
 They reject the institutions of the establishment, calling for a more
humane, egalitarian, and idealistic social and political system.
 They favor revolutionary change. (Therefore, establishments often try to
crush them)
 How are the radicals viewed and treated by the Liberals, Conservatives
and Reactionaries?
 Attitude towards violence as a mean for political change? Debatable…
Pacifists take a strong anti-violence position…
 Some key Pacifists Radical leaders include; Martin Luther King, Jr and
Cesar Chavez…
SPECTRUM OF POLITICAL ATTITUDES
 LIBERALS: Less dissatisfied than the radicals but still
wishing to change the system significantly. (Classical &
Contemporary Liberals).
 MODERATES: Moderates find little wrong with the society,
and their reluctance to change it is exceeded only by that of the
conservatives.
 CONSERVATIVES: Conservatives oppose change because
they doubt it will result in something better. They tend to see an
intrinsic value in existing institutions and are unwilling to
tamper with them, claiming that to do so might seriously
damage that which tradition has perfected.
 REACTIONARIES: Reactionaries propose retrogressive
change; i.e. they favor a policy that that would return society to
a previous condition or even a former value system.
WHAT FACTORS HELP SHAPE POLITICAL
ATTITUDES?
 Psychological factors about the need for change
 Philosophical convictions

 Economic circumstances

 One’s view about the condition of human nature

 Age

All these factors combined together lead to people’s

advocacy/support for specific policy options
ANARCHISM – I
 Anarchism is a political philosophy which considers the
state undesirable, unnecessary and harmful, and instead
promotes a stateless society, or anarchy.
 It seeks to diminish or even abolish authority in the conduct
of human relations.
 There are many types and traditions of anarchism, not all of
which are mutually exclusive.
 Strains of anarchism have been divided into the categories
of social and individualist anarchism or similar dual
classifications.
 Anarchism is often considered to be a radical left-wing
ideology.
ANARCHISM – II
 However, anarchism has always included an
individualist strain supporting a market economy and
private property, or morally unrestrained egoism.
 Some anarchist schools of thought support anything
from extreme individualism to complete collectivism.
 Some anarchists fundamentally oppose all forms of
aggression, supporting self-defense or non-violence,
while others have supported the use of some coercive
measures, including violent revolution and terrorism, on
the path to an anarchist society.
FASCISM – I
 Fascism is a radical and authoritarian nationalist political ideology.
 Fascists seek to organize a nation on corporatist perspectives; values;
and systems such as the political system and the economy.
 Scholars generally consider fascism to be on the far right of the
conventional left-right political spectrum, although some scholars
claim that fascism has been influenced by both the left and the right.
 Fascists believe that a nation is an organic community that requires
strong leadership, collective identity, and the will and ability to
commit violence and wage war in order to keep the nation strong.
 Fascists identify violence and war as actions that create national
regeneration, spirit and vitality.
 Fascists claim that culture is created by collective national society
and its state, that cultural ideas are what give individuals identity, and
thus rejects individualism.
FASCISM – II
 In viewing the nation as an integrated collective community, fascists claim that
pluralism is a dysfunctional aspect of society, and justify a totalitarian state as a
means to represent the nation in its entirety.
 Fascists advocate the creation of a single-party state.

 Fascist governments forbid and suppress openness and opposition to the fascist
state and the fascist movement.
 Fascism rejects and resists autonomy of cultural or ethnic groups who are not
considered part of the fascists' nation and who refuse to assimilate or are unable
to be assimilated.
 Fascists consider attempts to create such autonomy as an affront and threat to the
nation.
 Fascists support a “Third Way” in economic policy, which they believed superior
to both the rampant individualism of laissez-faire capitalism and the severe
control of state socialism.
 Fascism presents itself as an economically trans-class movement that promotes
ending economic class conflict to secure national solidarity.
 They blame capitalism and liberal democracies for creating class conflict, and
accuse communists of exploiting the concept.
FASCISM – III
 Fascists believe that economic classes are not capable of
properly running a nation, and that a merit-based aristocracy
of experienced military persons must rule through regimenting
a nation's forces of production and securing the nation’s
independence.
 Following the defeat of the Axis powers in World War II and
the publicity surrounding the atrocities committed during the
period of fascist governments, the term fascist has been used
as a pejorative word, often referring to widely varying
movements across the political spectrum.
FEMINISM
 The term feminism can be used to describe a political, cultural or
economic movement aimed at establishing equal rights and legal
protection for women.
 Feminism involves political, cultural and sociological theories, as
well as philosophies concerned with issues of gender difference.
 It is also a movement that advocates gender equality for women
and campaigns for women’s rights and interests.
 According to Maggie Humm and Rebecca Walker, the history of
feminism can be divided into three waves.
 The first feminist wave was in the nineteenth and early twentieth
centuries
 The second was in the 1960s and 1970s
 Third extends from the 1990s to the present

 Feminism has altered predominant perspectives in a wide range of

areas within Western society, ranging from culture to law.