Labeling our Ideas:

Contrasting Political Ideologies

Political ideologies

• A set of ideas, perceptions, values & beliefs through which individuals interpret social, political and economic events and formulate opinions on how the world ought to be

• Like a ‘filter’ or ‘lens’

• Ideologies shape our attitudes & actions

Definition

• Ideology: a set of more or less coherent set of ideas that provides a basis for organized political action. This might be to preserve, modify or overthrow the existing system of power relationships – offer an account of the existing order usually in the

form of a ’world view’– offer a model of a desired future– outline how political change can and should be brought

about• At a fundamental level = a political philosophy• At an operative level = broad political movement

Mapping the Ideological Landscape

• Understanding the traditional ‘grand ideologies’ of liberal capitalist society:– Conservatism– Liberalism– Socialism

Main political ideologies

• Liberalism– Classical– Modern

• Conservatism• The New Right

– Neo-liberalism– Neo conservatism

• Socialism– Variants of marxism– Social democracy– Third way

Adding some complexity…

The “Left-wing / Right-wing” ideological spectrum

Philosophical approaches

Philosophers Nature of the state

Nature of the Individual

Theories

Liberalism or

Idealism

Kant, Locke, Bad to good to non-existent

In essence good and corrupted through external actors

Liberalism

Rationalism

Essentialism

Pluralism

Realism Hobbes, Machiavelli Rational interest

Self-seeking rational actor requiring Leviathan

Game theory, rational action, logical administration

Marxism Marx, Lenin Reflecting specific class interest-biased towards a specific status quo

Social being reflecting the interests of their economic, political, and social position

Structuralism

Dependency theories

Neo-imperialism

Elitism

Class theories

Other ideological traditions

• Fascism

• Anarchism

• Feminism

• Environmentalism

• Religious fundamentalism

Political Culture

• Political Culture: • A set of ideas, assumptions and values that

condition political attitudes and behaviour• A ‘collective phenomena’ – people don’t have

political cultures, communities or societies do• Shaped by the dominant ideology, but comprised

of several (mainstream) ideologies• Sets the boundaries of the dominant ‘common

sense’

To conclude• Ideologies link political theory with political

practice– BJP in India; Taleban in Afghanistan; New Right in

Europe and USA; etc.

• Ideologies ’fit’ contexts and therefore become weakened and/or changed over time as contexts change. The ’relevance’ factor.

• Ideologies often carry their own seeds of destruction as they are resistant to change.

• But they are important to understand how politics are approached and promoted