IDEOLOGY

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

Far Left Centre- Left Centre Centre-Right Far Right

The Political Spectrum

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

STOP HERE!!!

AuthoritarianismDemocracy

Market

State

Inequality

Equality

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

There are several different ways to cut this pie…

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