IDEOLOGIES



Comprehensive set of ideas by which a group makes sense of the world. All people have ideologies to some degree (consciously or unconsciously). We map out our own interpretation of the real world and its significance to our current world situation.Ideologies generally try to explain how things have come to be the way they are and where things are going.Ideologies are used by people to distinguish truth from falsehood.Contemporary ideologies (anarchism, socialism, capitalism, communism, etc.) contain many socio-economic elements that dominate the beliefs people adopt and the biases they reflectThese systems condition people’s behavior.It is a belief system that explains and justifies a preferred political order for society, either existing or proposed, and offers a strategy (processes, institutional arrangements, programs) for its attainment.Functions of IdeologiesRobert E. Lane (political analyst) classified a number of important functions of political ideologies:Present a simplified “cause & effect” interpretation of a complex world.Integrate a theory of human nature with life’s basic economic, social and political values.Appear normative and moral in tone and content and aspire to perfect our behaviour.Draw their philosophical premises from constitutions, declarations, manifestoes and writings. Constitute a broad belief system and advocate reforms in the basic fabric and structure of society. Address fundamental questions about leadership, recruitment, political succession and electoral behaviour.Have the effect to persuade and propagandize people who learn not to be influenced by opposing views.Therefore, because ideologies are value-based belief systems, they often come into conflict and ponents of Ideologies:The disposition of human nature (our inherent behaviour).The role of the individual in society.The role of the state.The sources & limits of political authority.A preferred economic and social order.WHAT IS HUMAN NATURE?Many questions exist regarding human nature.Are human beings born basically good or bad, or does social conditioning determine their character?Is it possible to perfect human nature or is it fundamentally unalterable?Whatever view is expressed in the ideology has immediate implications for the economic, political & social preferences that flow from its own belief system.Conservative View: Asserts that human nature is unchangeable and that the purpose of social & political institutions is to control the undesirable tendencies in human behaviour.Liberal View: Belief in the inherent goodness of human nature leads to the thought that people should not be too closely controlled and directed by government.A democrat will believe that people are basically rational and trustworthy.An authoritarian sees people as in need of guidance & control of the party or the state would have no predictability and direction in their lives.ROLE OF THE INDIVIDUALMany questions exist regarding the role of the individual in society:Where does the individual fit into the total scheme of things?Does the state and its government serve the interests of individuals or are individuals subservient to the goals of the state?Where do we draw the line on the role of the individual in the political & social system?The way people act as individuals affects the opportunities for the self-development of othersSocialist View: The individual’s welfare is subordinate to the welfare of the whole society. The many will benefit most if the interests of the individuals are not taken to represent the well being of everyone (close to Marxism)Liberalist View: The greater liberty of one person can be the lesser liberty of a government. Is the necessary instrument for equalizing & maximizing individual freedom.THE ROLE OF THE STATEThe state has been seen to derive from various sources:The will of godThe social contract (contract between individuals to exchange liberty for security)As a process of natural evolutionFrom the familyThe institution of private propertyThere has always been much discussion regarding where the state came from, its role in the social & political system.Some ideologies believe that the state is a necessary evil Anarchists, Libertarians & Ultra Conservatives see the state as a set of institutions that attracts uncontrollable corruption, impedes social & economic progress and threatens human liberty.In other ideologies, the state represents the highest of human endeavors, whose purpose is viewed as raising civilized standards.Most modern ideologies believe that humans need a state apparatus of some kind to cope with the many problems of surviving in a competitive international community.ROLE OF POLITICAL AUTHORITYPolitical authority is usually portrayed as a form of power based upon the recognition it receives for those over whom it effectsFor some, this authority is derived from the consent of the government, while others point to the source of political authority as the coercive will of the state or of dictators.Democrats & Liberalists view: The essence of authority is subjective, psychological & moral. Authority is an influence that is ultimately related to legitimacy, the belief held by the citizenry that a government has the right to rule and that a citizen ought to obey the rules of that government.Fascists & Marxist-Leninist view: Authority is portrayed as something that flows objectively from the coercive arm of the state, government and party institutions.Totalitarianism view: Rigid hierarchy & rank subordination of followers to the authority of a single/collective leadership.Political authority has relevant meaning common to all ideologiesPolitical authority is to be obeyed, not always blindly or critically, but because compliance ensures the legitimate performance of the political systemPolitical authority is a communication between leaders and the “led”, enabling them to relate to each other in such a way that the political system survives, be it a democracy or a dictatorship.THE ECONOMIC & SOCIAL ORDERIdeologies usually reflect upon desirable economic and social conditions that mobilize human beings for productive purposes.How will societies organize, protect, and distribute the products of human labor and ingenuity?What social and political institutions should be in place to facilitate the required economic and social order?Who should reap the benefits of economic productivity and its attendant wealth?These issues are important to consider, since there is a strong link between the economic & social order and the ideological nature of government.Beliefs regarding the economic & social order are those that basically help set out the structure of your society.Marxists view: Searched for a more equitable way of organizing society and of ensuring that the satisfaction of individual economic needs does not contradict the fulfillment of social needs.Anarchist’s view: Insist on the free & spontaneous association of citizens in the economic & social life of society. For most anarchists, the highest social order, and the only moral one, derives from each person’s enlightened understanding of the social & economic interdependence of society.Capitalists view: The economic & social system works best and the competitive ideal is most likely to be achieved when people are free to decide for themselves what they want and what they are willing to pay for it. ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download