Modern political ideologies

Question 1

What is an ideology?

Answer 1

1. “set of ideas designed to define the existing political order
2. present a vision through which we interpret the world
3. lay the means to get from what exists to what we want

Question 2

How does marx define ideology (negatively)?

Answer 2

set of ideas that’s false, deliberately designed to obscure reality to benenfit a particular class

Question 3

Why is the contemporary definition pejorative?

Answer 3

because it is associated with someone with a rigid devotion to a set of ideas irrespected of their utility or simply as an extremist

Question 4

What are features of an idelogy?

Answer 4

• action oriented
• seen as more rigorous and sophisticated than politcal philosophy
• contain empirical and normative elements
• ideaologies reflect and shape the social and historical circumstances in which they exist

Question 5

What were the main ideology in 19th century and why?

Answer 5

• Liberalism and socialism emerged at industrial revolution
• reflected optimism created by enlightment
• liber. was promoted by industrial middle class
• social. promoted by industrial working class

Question 6

Define enlightenment

Answer 6

• 17th and 18th intellectual & cultura movement that applied reason to knwoledge in a search for human progress
• influence in arts, sciences & politics
  -attempted to model political institutions around a set of abstract rational principles

Question 7

Why did liberalism come about ?

Answer 7

Term came into usage in 19th with the liberal party of glastone (British PM)
traced back to a rise of a capitalist political economy & as a defence of private property

Question 8

What is classical liberalism?

Answer 8

• drew on economic theory of adam smith& social theory of Spencer
• states role should be limited to ensure int and ext. security and enforce property rights
• market is the most effective way of meeting human needs
• minimal state maximises freedom and rewards those who work hardest (meritocracy?)

Question 9

What is new/ social liberalism?

Answer 9

• associated with social democratic left
• emphasis on social reform
• more positive role of state to correct inequalities of the market
• increased liberty by creating greater opportunities for individuals to achieve their goals

Question 10

What is the core meaning of liberal thought?

Answer 10

liberty, tolerance, individualism, equality

Question 11

What is negative liberty?

Answer 11

• emphasised by classical liberalism
• remove external constraints

Question 12

what is positive liberty?

Answer 12

• emphasised by social liberalism
• state can remove obstacles to freedom and implement things to increase freedom

Question 13

What is an essential part of liberty and why?

Answer 13

Focus on the individual
- rights are important due to importance given to individuals
- indi. must be protected against soceity and state
- individualism stes from beleid that indiv. are rational and able to determine their own best interests and pursue them

Question 14

What is a negative consequence of liberty’s individualism?

Answer 14

• extreme individualism denies state right to intervene in any aspects of life of individual (works best in anarchism)
• devaluing of community: distinction between individual and community creates conflict btw. communitarianism and liberalism

Question 15

What is communitarianism?

Answer 15

critiques liberal social contract
believes political principles must be derived from actual existing society which prove identity & meaning for individ.

Question 16

What is liberalism view on individuals?

Answer 16

• see individuals as of equal value but not equalitu of outcome
• equality of opportunity (everyone starts at the same point and gets rewarded for effort >meritocracy)

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