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2 Political ideas and ideology Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the origins of the word ‘ideology’?

A

French philosopher Destutt de Tracy (1754-1836) –hoped would be science (like biology for ideas).

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2
Q

What did Marx mean by ‘ideology’?

A

A set of (false) ideas of ruling class, used to dominate and disguise exploitation.

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3
Q

What is the liberal concept of ideology?

A

A closed system of thought that claims monopoly on truth that does not tolerate other ideas. Unlike liberalism which is open and tolerates debate.

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4
Q

What is consumerist politics?

A

Phenomenon whereby parties act like businesses in marketplace aiming to attract consumers (voters).

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5
Q

How does consumerist politics contribute to de-ideologisation?

A

Easier to not have any fixed commitments (right or left-wing) in order to be able to change based on what consumers want.

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6
Q

John Locke dates?

A

1632-1704

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7
Q

Locke’s views were seen as justifying what historical event?

A

The Glorious Revolution of 1688

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8
Q

Who was replaced by whom in the Glorious Revolution of 1688?

A

James II, a Catholic king, was replaced by his Protestant daughter Mary and her husband, William of Orange.

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9
Q

Why did the English nobles support the Glorious Revolution?

A

They were concerned about James II’s Catholic sympathies and absolutist tendencies.

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10
Q

What was the upshot of the Glorious Revolution of 1688?

A

A shift towards constitutional monarchy, significantly limiting royal power and enhancing Parliamentary authority.

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11
Q

Following the Glorious Revolution, what did the Bill of Rights of 1689 and Toleration Act establish?

A

Bill of Rights of 1689 – fundamental principles of parliamentary democracy and civil liberties.

Toleration Act – religious tolerance.

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12
Q

What are civil liberties?

A

Fundamental rights and freedoms protected from infringement by the government

Freedom of Speech, Press, Religion, etc.

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13
Q

What was Locke’s social contract theory?

A

Governments are formed by the consent of the governed and are designed to protect the natural rights of individuals. If a government fails to do so, the people have the right to overthrow it.

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14
Q

What are Locke’s 3 fundamental natural rights?

A

Rights of individuals to life, liberty, and property.

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15
Q

In his “Letter Concerning Toleration” what does Locke argue for?

A

The separation of church and state –and believed that religious belief was a personal matter, not subject to coercion by the state.

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16
Q

Who was most influential advocate of separating church and state?

A

Martin Luther–doctrine of the “two kingdoms” distinguished between the spiritual realm (governed by God) and the temporal realm (governed by secular authorities).

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17
Q

Locke proposed that the mind was a ________ ______ at birth.

A

Locke proposed that the mind was a tabula rasa at birth.

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18
Q

What are John Locke’s three great works?

A

1 “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding” 1689 –tabula rasa theory.

2 “Letter Concerning Toleration” 1689 –religious tolerance and separation of church and state.

3 “Two Treatises of Government” 1690 –social contract theory.

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19
Q

What is the ‘short 20th century’?

A

The period, shaped by ideological conflict, from start of WWI to fall of communism.

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20
Q

Karl Marx dates?

A

1818-83

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21
Q

What is Marx’s prescription for overcoming alienation of work?

A

Being able to see oneself in what is produced e.g., artisan making a chair

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22
Q

What is Marx’s concept of commodity fetishism (Warenfetischismus)?

A

When products are seen as having intrinsic value, independent of the work that created them. This perspective hides the social relationships and labor involved in production, leading to a focus on commodities rather than the people who make them.

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23
Q

Marx’s tenets of capitalist ideology:

Someone who doesn’t work is _________.

A

That someone who doesn’t work is worthless.

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24
Q

Marx’s tenets of capitalist ideology:

Leisure is ________.

A

Leisure is sinful.

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25
Marx's tenets of capitalist ideology: More __________ means more ________
More belongings means more happiness.
26
Marx's tenets of capitalist ideology: Things and people are worthwhile if they ______ ___________.
Things and people are worthwhile if they make money.
27
Marx's ideas were most influenced by which major historical event?
Industrial revolution
28
Why is there an inherent conflict between business owners and workers?
Business owners want more profit Workers want higher wages
29
What is main reason that prevents workers from rebelling, according to Marx?
Because business owners also control ideology – through education system, religion, media – and teach workers that system is OK and that nothing can be done.
30
What is main principle of the bourgeois education system, according to Marx?
Learn to accept authority.
31
Marx: How does the legal system perpetuate inequality?
Business owners can afford better legal representation, and legal system sides with owners.
32
Marx: How does religion perpetuate exploitation?
Idea of obedience and being good to get into afterlife makes people politically inert.
33
Why did Lenin propose rule by a vanguard party, rather than by a Marxist dictatorship of the proletariat?
He believed that the proletariat was brainwashed by bourgeois ideas. It was driven by 'trade union consciousness' – the desire to improve working and living conditions – rather than the loftier goal of overthrowing capitalism.
34
What was Herbert Marcuse's idea of "Repressive Tolerance" 1965 essay?
Given that in western liberal society, the expression of ideas is controlled by the media, this makes the spread of revolutionary ideas impossible – even with tolerance and free speech.
35
Marx: What would be the first phase of the initial 'socialist' period of development?
Dictatorship of the proletariat.
36
Marx - how would society transition from the dictatorship of the proletariat to full communism?
Private property would be abolished. Centralised planning of economy, based on democratic participation. State would wither away because not needed, and class distinctions would dissolve. Surplus of labor would be distributed according to need.
37
What is Marx's idea of historical materialism?
Material conditions—primarily how production is organized and who controls it — shape societal structures, including politics, culture, and religion.
38
Give an example of how the organisation of production shapes society?
Feudalism – production came from land, controlled by nobles, establishing a societal hierarchy reinforced by monarchy and religious doctrine legitimizing the social order.
39
What is Max Weber's argument in "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism"?
Calvinist doctrine of predestination induced anxiety over salvation. Worldly success is sign of divine favour. Indulgence is a sin. If success equals salvation and enjoyment is bad, makes sense to work hard and deny oneself pleasure – thus alleviating anxiety and guilt. (Unlike Catholics, Protestants couldn't confess to alleviate guilt.) This asceticism and hard work is ideal for development of capitalism.
40
How would Marx's concept of commodity fetishism be exemplified by smartphones?
Consumers see only the product's features and brand, not the labor and social relationships behind it. The phone's perceived value masks the realities of production, like worker exploitation and environmental impact, obscuring the true human and material cost of its creation.
41
Stalin dates?
1878-1953
42
What is social democracy?
Economy operates on market principles. Wealth distributed on moral principles.
43
What is John Rawls's magnum opus?
"A Theory of Justice" 1970
44
What is the thought experiment at the centre of John Rawls' "A Theory of Justice" 1970? And what does it demonstrate?
The Veil of Ignorance If you are circling the earth as a foetus, ignorant of where you will be born, what conditions you would like your landing place to have? This question demonstrates that people would generally choose to live in egalitarian societies.
45
How has fall of communism contributed to decline of social democracy?
Collapse of communism has shaken credibility of top-down economic models.
46
How has change in nature of work contributed to decline of social democracy?
Increase in white-collar workers, so appeals to workers no longer electorally viable.
47
What is the accepted nature of the economy in the 'new' social democracy, or 'neo-revisionism'?
A dynamic global free market economy, based on knowledge and information technology.
48
What is the primary role of the state in the current 'new' social democracy, or 'neo-revisionism'?
State is like a corporation – designed to be internationally competitive, particularly by building up education and skills.
49
What is the idea of welfare in the current 'new' social democracy, or 'neo-revisionism'?
Against socialist egalitarianism and 'cradle to grave' welfare. In favour of a 'workfare state', in which benefits are conditional on seeking work and becoming self-reliant.
50
How has globalisation contributed to decline of social democracy?
Globalisation has undermined national management of economies.
51
What has been the role of nationalised industries in decline of social democracy?
Nationalised industries have often proved inefficient, leading to privatisation and smaller government.
52
What is the idea of justice in the current 'new' social democracy, or 'neo-revisionism'?
Society is meritocratic, and so inequality is fair because the most deserving (eg, hardworking) succeed.
53
In what way does Fascism arise out of Darwinism?
It takes the idea of survival of the fittest to propose that it is natural for the strong to dominate – that might is right.
54
There was an Italian fascist slogan "_____ is dead" – why?
The enlightenment values of the French revolution – rationalism, freedom, equality – were overturned in favour of hierarchy and anti-individualism.
55
What is the fascist attitude towards the individual?
Not important – can and should sacrifice himself to the state.
56
Difference between Italian and German fascism?
Italian fascism was an extreme form of statism – everything for the state. German fascism was constructed on racial grounds – everything for the race.
57
What is the central idea of anarchism?
That political authority in all its forms is evil and unnecessary.
58
In what way is anarchism a meeting point of liberalism and communism?
Anarchism advocates for a stateless society in which affairs are managed through voluntary agreement and cooperation.
59
What is anarcho-capitalism?
Idea that unregulated market competition can and should be applied to all social arrangements, making the state unnecessary. Popular in US.
60
What is most common strain of anarchist thought, and what observation is it based on?
Collective anarchism – based on principle that humans are naturally sociable and cooperative.
61
What were first-wave and second-wave feminism?
First-wave – efforts from 1840s to gain female suffrage. Second-wave – Women's Liberation movement in 1960s.
62
What is radical feminism?
Belief in existence of patriarchy – institution whereby men control women – and aim to overthrow it, particularly through transforming 'the personal'
63
Mary Wollstonecraft dates?
1759-97
64
What was Mary Wollstonecraft's magnum opus? And what was its argument?
A Vindication of the Rights of Women (1792). Women's inferiority is a result of lack of education, not natural.
65
How did Locke influence Wollstonecraft's views?
Tabula rasa – means that women can develop like men. Natural rights – society violates these by depriving women of right to property and liberty. Social contract – this is breached as women have not consented to their subjugation.
66
What is the 'short 20th century'?
The period, shaped by ideological conflict, from start of WWI to fall of communism.
67
What is Classical Liberalism?
Idea that human beings are egotistical, separate and owe nothing to society, so government should not intervene in their lives.
68
What is economic liberalism?
Position that economy delivers maximal benefit to all when left alone. Laissez-faire, free-market capitalism. Allows people to rise and fall according to merit, ensuring social justice.
69
What is atomism?
Belief that society is made of self-sufficient individuals who owe nothing to each other.
70
What are the 7 key ideas of Liberalism?
1 Individualism – right to make own decision 2 Freedom (under the law) 3 Reason 4 Equality and meritocracy 5 Toleration 6 Consent of the governed 7 Constitutionalism
71
What is modern liberalism?
Support for big government based on evidence that unfettered capitalism leads to injustice and poverty.
72
What is paternalistic conservatism?
Duty of privileged to provide for the poor. May be due to recognition that 'reform from above' is preferable to 'revolution from below'
73
What was Disraeli's 'two nations' idea?
That the UK risked being divided into 'two nations: the Rich and the Poor'.
74
What are the 7 key ideas of Conservatism?
1 Tradition – desire to conserve 2 Pragmatism 3 Human imperfection – people are selfish and corrupt and need order and authority 4 Organicism – society is a living entity structured into institutions 5 Hierarchy – is natural 6 Authority – must be exercised from above 7 Property – gives independence from government
75
Edmund Burke dates?
1729-97
76
What was Edmund Burke's criticism of the French Revolution?
For liberty to be worth having, it needed to be guided by tradition, religion (morality) and social institutions. We are better guided by building on past experience than by abstract, metaphysical principles.
77
What was Burke's view on social hierarchies?
They were a natural order, a stabilising force, and embodied collective wisdom of society built up over the ages.
78
What is key principle of neoliberalism?
Belief that unregulated market capitalism will deliver widespread prosperity, if unhindered by 'dead hand' of the state.
79
Margaret Thatcher expressed the _______ position when she said that 'there is no such thing as a ______, only ________ and _______'
Margaret Thatcher expressed the neoliberal position when she said that 'there is no such thing as a society, only individuals and families'
80
What is neoconservatism?
Belief in restoring authority and traditional values – often linked to nationalism and dislike for pluralism.
81
What are the 5 key ideas of socialism?
1 Community – everyone part of society, and fashioned by it 2 Community – everyone part of society, and fashioned by it 3 Social equality – no classes 4 Need – material benefit should be distributed based on need, rather than merit or work 5 Common ownership – private property promotes selfishness 
82
Green politics is ___-centric rather than ______-centric
Green politics is ecocentric rather than anthropocentric
83
What is James Lovelock's Gaia hypothesis?
That the planet Earth is a living organism primarily concerned with its own survival
84
What is ecology?
Study of relationships between living organisms and their environment
85
What was the world's first modern islamic state based on sharia law?
Iran led by Ayatollah Khomeini after revolution of 1979
86
"Cosmopolitan" – origins?
"Kosmos," meaning "world," and "polites," meaning "citizen." Used by Cynics and Stoics of ancient Greece to suggest all human beings belong to a single community, based on shared morality and ethics, rather than to a specific city-state or nation.
87
Gandhi dates?
1869-1948
88
How did Gandhi die and why?
Assassinated in 1948 by fanatical Hindu who thought Gandhi – an advocate of a united India – was supporting Muslim interests too heavily
89
What are 'Asian values'?
'Asian values' refer to a set of societal principles supposed to contradict Western assumptions. Emphasize social harmony, respect for authority, and a belief in the family.
90
Where are ancient origins of dualism and non-dualism?
Aristotle (dualism) – things have distinctive essence – they are or they are not Nagarjuna (non–dualism) – things lack own being as are intrinsically interdependent

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