5: Ideology Flashcards
What is ideology? How does it relate to leaders?
Set/system of ideas that form basis of political and economic system, differs based on traditions.
Offers guidance for leaders.
What are three factors that produce ideologies?
Time: enriches, orients.
Society: events, structural change.
Crisis: shocks to the system.
What is meant by “zeitgeist”?
Spirit of the times, readiness to embrace change.
What is society’s major ideology?
Interests of “class.”
What were conservative, liberalist, and socialist ideologies in 19th century Europe?
Conservative ideologies: interests of landed aristocracy losing power as result of modernization.
Liberalism: interests of rising middle class.
Socialism: interests of all classes.
Why do crises influence ideology?
Create powerful demand for new ideas, people commit to ideas more strongly than in normal times.
Liberalism came as a reaction to medieval society. What three things did it react to in particular?
Religious conformity.
Ascribed status (proposed a more meritocractic orient).
Feudalism: people work and fight for nobles, who gave protection and use of land in return.
They key component of liberalism is _____.
Rights.
What four rights does liberalism emphasize?
Against the state.
To not be interfered with by government.
Natural: human condition innately precious, irreplaceable.
Negative rights: freedom from interference; state cannot put obstacles, can remove if they do.
In liberalism, what is the individual in a societal sense?
The basis of political, economic, and social power.
According to liberalism, political power does not come from the rule of _____, but from the will of the _____.
Stronger; people.
What are the two primary features of liberal institutions?
Limited government: politics out of religion, vice versa; night-watchman state (does only what set out to do).
Capitalism: private voluntary contract, state should not interfere.
Three figures of liberal thought are Hobbes, Locke, and Stuart Mill. What are their perspectives?
Hobbes: without government, war among everyone; in order to retain rights, give them to sovereign.
Locke: state of natural not competitive, but inconvenient; proposes dispersed government.
Stuart Mill: “On Liberty,” importance of freedom of speech.
Classical liberalism is within the schools of thought of which two figures?
Locke, Stuart Mill.
American liberalism derived from _____, whereas British liberalism follows _____.
Locke; 19th century.
According to Locke, what is the social contract? What happens when it is breached?
Government comes about through agreement of free individuals that rights are best protected by associating with one another.
If contract breached, people have right to rebel.
List four features of liberalism.
Reason (rationality).
Self-interest (competition).
Self-determination.
Equality.
List five principles of liberalism.
Secularism.
Universalism.
Progress.
Equality.
Rationality (scientific empiricism).
Conservatism’s political meaning began after what?
French Revolution.
According to conservatism, what is the idea of the “organic society”?
Idea that culture, tradition, customs are of utmost importance.
According to Burke, nobody has a right to _____ society, and ____ rights are simply a fervor for rights.
Uproot; natural.
What are the three Cs of conservatism?
Continuity: what is done has consequence after.
Caution: change has to be cautious.
Context: change should be within context of particular society.
What were Burke’s thoughts towards the social contract?
Partnership of which dead, living, future generations are a party.
According to conservatism, wisdom is contained in what?
Customs and traditions.
Conservatism is not resistant to change, but it believes what must be slow and contained?
Pace and extent.
Conservatism sees liberalism as what?
Atomistic (individualistic) society rather than organic (communitarian) one.
Conservatism is diffident of people’s nature. Why is this?
People not as ‘good’ as liberals think.
Modern American conservatism takes after what ideologies?
Classical liberalism and social conservatism.
List four elements within modern American conservatism.
Fiscal conservatism.
Free market or economic liberalism (capitalism).
Small government.
American states’ rights.
Burke believed in _____ rather than innovation.
Reform.
What are three key elements to socialism?
Challenge to social and economic conditions.
Humans by nature part of society.
Focus on the group.
Socialism believed what ought to be controlled?
Production, distribution and delivery of SOCIAL goods (centralization/planning).
List three traits of socialism.
Government planning/intervention.
Social “ownership” of the means of production, distribution, delivery.
Equality of condition (or result).
Marxism was founded upon what?
Class struggles.
Define the two classes within Marxism.
Bourgeoisie: capitalist class, the wealthy, who own most of the means of production.
Proletariat: working class, including farmers and low-skilled factory workers. Do not own any means of production.
In Marxist society, there are two parts. Define them.
Base: comprises forces and relations of production, into which people enter to produce necessities and amenities of life.
Superstructure: everything not do with production (art, family, culture, etc.), to influence consciousness of working class.
According to Marxism, what is “false consciousness”?
People’s inability to recognize inequality, oppression, exploitation in capitalist society because of the prevalence of views that naturalize and legitimize existence of social classes.
