Ideology

​Definition

Political ideology is a doctrine that helps one group of people manipulate the opinion of the majority to gain power.

​Functions of ideology:

• Controlling public consciousness

• Formulating criteria for assessing the past, present, and future of social development

• Forming a positive attitude toward their ideas about future goals and objectives

​At the same time, ideology is:

• A doctrine (At the doctrine stage, a system of ideas, values, and norms is formed.)

• A program (At the program stage, political ideas take the form of various official documents, slogans, and programs.)

• A practice (The main goal of ideology is to unite and coordinate people’s actions.)

• Fascism

• Anarchism

• Feminism

• Green politics

• Postcolonialism

• Religious fundamentalism

​Other ideological traditions

• liberalism (from Latin liberalis – free)

• conservatism

• socialism

​‘classical’ ideologies

​Liberalism: key ideas

• Individualism

• Freedom

• Reason

• Equality

• Toleration

• Consent

• Constitutionalism

​Conservatism: key ideas

• Tradition

• Pragmatism

• Human Imperfection

• Organic Society

• Hierarchy

• Authority

• Property

A Dublin-born UK statesman and political thinker, is considered the father of Anglo-American conservatism. His famous work, Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790), criticized the French Revolution. He believed wisdom comes from experience, tradition, and history.

​Edmund Burke

​Socialism: key ideas

• Community

• Fraternity

• Social Equality

• Resources should be distributed based on need

• Social Class

• Common Ownership