Political Ideologies Flashcards
History of the term “Ideology”
Refer to a new “science of ideas” that set out to uncover the origins of conscious thought and ideas.
French philosopher who coined the term in 1976
Destutt de Tracy
Political Ideology
To analyze the nature, role and significance of this category of thought, and to reflect on questions such as which sets of political ideas and arguments should be classified as ideologies.
Ideology in social-scientific viewpoint
A more or less coherent set of ideas that provides a basis for organized political action, whether this is intended to preserve, modify, or overthrow the existing system of power relationships.
All ideologies therefore
- Offer an account of the existing order, usually in the form of a worldview
- Provide a model of a desired future, a vision of the Good Society, and
- Outline how the political change can and should be brought about.
Role of Ideas
- It set goals that inspires political activity.
- Also help to shape the nature of political systems.
- Can act as a form of social cement, providing social groups, and indeed whole societies, with a set of unifying beliefs and values.
Political ideas
Are molded by the social and historical circumstances in which they develop and by the political ambitions they serve.
Classical Ideological Traditions
- Liberalism
- Conservatism
- Socialism
- Social Democracy
- Communism & Marxism
- Fascism
- Anarchism
- Feminism
- Post-colonialism
- Ecologism
Liberalism
Political ideology based on the values of individual liberty, equality, and economic freedom.
Liberalism in earliest form
Political doctrine. It reflected the aspirations of rising industrial middle class.
Idea of John Locke
It attacked absolutism and feudal privilege, instead advocating constitutional and, later representative government.
Liberalism in early nineteenth century
a liberal economic creed had developed that extolled the virtues of laissez-faire and condemned all forms of government intervention.
Key Ideas of Liberalism
- Individualism
- Freedom
- Reason
- Toleration
- Consent
- Constitutionalism
Individualism
core principle of liberal ideology; reflects a belief in the supreme importance of human individual.
Freedom
individual freedom or liberty is the core value of liberalism; given priority over, say, equality, justice or authority.
Reason
Inclines them to place their faith in the ability of individuals to make wise judgement on their own behalf.
Equality-individualism
Implies a belief in foundational equality: that is, the belief that individuals are born equal, at least in terms of moral worth.
Toleration
Forbearance; the willingness of people to allow others to think, speak and act in ways of which they disapprove is both a guarantee of individual liberty and a means of social enrichment.
Consent
Authority and social relationships should always be based on consent or willing agreement. Government must be based on the “consent of the governed”
Constitutionalism
Limited government; fragmentation of government power, creation of checks and balances among government institutions, and by the establishment of a codified or ‘written’ constitution embodying a bill of rights that defines the relationship between state and the individual.
Conservatism
(Edmund Burke)This expresses a preference of the old and established social and political order. Its advocates stress the importance of respect for authority, tradition, prescription and continuity.
French Revolution
Middle class revolts against the monarchial system because of the heavy taxation and other form of oppression.
Key ideas of Conservatism
- Tradition
- Pragmatism
- Human Imperfection
- Organicism
- Hierarchy
- Authority
- Property
Tradition
Central theme of conservative thought, closely linked to the perceived virtues of tradition, respect for established customs, and institutions that have endured through time.
Pragmatism
belief that action should be shaped by practical circumstances and practical goals.
Human Imperfection
Pessimistic view in which human beings are limited, dependent, and security-seeking creatures, drawn to the familiar and the tried and tested, and needing to live in stable and orderly communities.
Organicism
Conservatives view society as an organic whole, or living entity. Society is thus structured by natural necessity.
Hierarchy
Gradations of social position and status are natural and inevitable in an organic society.
Authority
Always exercised ‘from above’, providing leadership, guidance and support for those who lack the knowledge, experience or education to act wisely in their own interests.
Property
A vital because it gives people security and measure of independence from government, and it encourages them to respect the law and property of others.
Liberalism vs Conservatism
Liberalism stresses on the idea of freedom and liberty while Conservatism focuses on the hierarchy, authority, and maintaining status quo.
In liberalism, changes happens in instant meanwhile, in Conservatism, it is gradual and must happen naturally.
Socialism
Populist economic and political system based on social ownership and operation of the means of production.
Early form of Socialism
Tended to have fundamentalist, utopian, and revolutionary character. The goal was to abolish a capitalist economy based on market exchange and replace with a qualitatively different socialist society.
Influential representative of Socialism
Karl Marx, whose ideas provided foundations for communism.
Key ideas of Socialism
- Community
- Fraternity
- Social Class
- Social Equality
- Need
- Common ownership
Community
Refers to the degree to which individual identity is fashioned by social interaction and membership of social groups and collective bodies. Nurture over nature; explain individual behavior in terms of social factors, rather than innate qualities.
Fraternity
this encourages socialists to prefer cooperation to competition, and to favor collectivism over individualism.
Social Class
the eradication of economic and social inequalities or their substantial reduction.
Social Equality
Emphasize the importance of social equality, an equality of outcome as opposed to equality of opportunity.
Need
sympathy for equality also reflects the socialist belief that material benefits should be distributed on the basis of need, rather than simply on the basis of merit or work.
Marx’ communist principle
“From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.”
Common Ownership
he socialist case for common ownership is that it is a means of harnessing material resources to the common good, with private property being seen to promote selfishness, acquisitiveness and social division.
Socialism vs Capitalism
Socialism has common/share ownership while Capitalism has private ownership.
Social Democracy
stands for a balance between the market and the state, a balance between the individual and the community.
Democratic socialism
blends socialist and democratic ideas or views.
Key ideas of Social Democracy
- Free market capitalism
- Substantial taxation
- Gender equality
- Relaxed employment Laws
Free Market Capitalism
with a sophisticated social benefits system.
Substantial Taxation
allows the government to provide welfare services and benefits to its people.
Gender Equality
resulting in the great degree of engagement of women in workplaces and significant level of paternal involvement of men.
Relaxed Employment Laws
enables companies to release workers when necessary who, in turn, are supported by generous welfare programs until they find work.
Communism
based on the economic ideology that advocates for a classless society in which all property and wealth are communally-owned, instead of by individuals.
Proletariat
Workers
Bourgeoisie
Capitalists
Marxism
a social philosophy derived from the classic writings of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels (1820-95), and the phenomenon of twentieth-century communism
Stages of History and Class Conflict at Each Stage
Primitive Communism--no classes--- no conflict Slavery-- slave owners--- slaves Feudalism-- landowners---Serfs Capitalism--bourgeoisie---proletariat Socialism-- state managers---workers Communism-- no classes--- no conflict
Fascism
Has an ‘anti-character’. It is defined largely by what it opposes: it is a form of anti-capitalism, anti-liberalism, anti-individualism, anticommunism.
Two principal manifestations of Fascism
Mussolini in Italy in 1922-43
Hitler in Germany in 1933-45
Core theme of Fascism
Image of an organically unified national community. This is reflected in a belief in ‘strength through unity’.
Fascist ideal
‘new man’, a hero, motivated by duty, honor and self-sacrifice, prepared to dedicate his life to the glory of his nation or race, and to give unquestioning obedience to a supreme leader.
Anarchism’s Central Theme
Belief that political authority in all its forms, and especially in the form of the state, is both evil and unnecessary. A stateless society in which free individuals manage their own affairs through voluntary agreement and cooperation has been developed.
Anarchy
literally means “without rule”
Two rival traditions
Liberal individualism
Socialist communitarianism
Feminism
A belief in the social, political and equality of sexes.
Feminism was spurred by her writings
Mary Wollstonecraft: A Vindication of the Rights of a Woman(1792)
Three waves of Feminism
First wave (20th century)
- Right to vote, right to education and employment, fairer marriage laws.
Second wave (1960’s)
- Equal pay and civil rights act, enabled women to delay or prevent childbirth
Third wave (1990’s)
- Inclusion of all women, reducing pay gap, ending violence against women
Types of Feminism
- Liberal Feminism
- Socialist Feminism
- Radical Feminism
Liberal Feminism
Core goal is equal access for women and men to the public realm, based on a belief of genderless personhood.
Socialist Feminism
Feminist tradition that seeks to restructure economic life to achieve gender equality, based in links between patriarchy and capitalism.
Radical Feminism
A feminist tradition that aims to overthrow patriarchy through a radical transformation of all spheres of life.
Post-Colonialism
A trend in literary, cultural and political studies that seeks to expose and overturn the cultural and psychological dimension of colonial rule.
Example of Post-colonialism
Mahatma Gandhi in India to overthrow British Colonial.
Ecology
Study of the relationship between living organisms and their environment.
Ecology was first used by
Ernst Haeckel in 1873
Ecologism
political doctrine or ideology that is constructed on the basis of ecological assumptions, notably about the essential link between humankind and the natural world: humans are part of nature, not its “masters.”
Difference of Ecologism and Environmentalism
Ecologism implies the adoption of a bio-centric perspective while Environmentalism is concerned with protecting nature, ultimately for human benefit.
Political Spectrum
A concept that models political beliefs and ideologies as a continuum, with left-wing liberalism and right-wing conservatism anchoring the two poles.
