Ideologies

1
Ideologies

• A discussion of the Major Ideologies of the
  Western World

2
Ideologies

• What is an ideology?
• Dominant vs Counter-Ideologies
• The Components of Ideologies
• Democratic Ideologies
• Non-Democratic Ideologies
• Other Ideologies

3
Ideologies Early Beginnings

• The French Philosopher Antoine Destrutt de Tracy
  coined the term ideologie to mean the science of
  ideas
• During the Enlightenment (18th Century), many
  philosophers in France (called philosophes),
  believed that the application of human reason
  (not adherence to faith) was needed to deal with
  social, economic and political challenges.
• Before the Enlightenment, most ideologies were
  primarily religious. It was during this period
  that we would see the great debate of faith vs.
  reason.
• Napoleon Bonaparte called his political enemies
  ideologues because they tended to hold liberal
  ideals and anti-religious views. This term is
  still used today

Eugene Delacroixs Liberty Leading The People
4
What is an Ideology?

• What is an ideology? Generally speaking, it is a
  value system through which we perceive, explain
  and accept the world.
• According to the political theorist Robert Dahl,
  all individuals are ideologues in the sense that
  we all map out our own interpretations of what
  the world is and how it should be.

5
What is the role of an Ideology?

• Ideologies present a simplified cause and
  effect interpretation of a complex world
  (e.g.Axis of Evil and the coalition of the
  willing)
• They provide a theory of human nature that
  explains basic economic, social and political
  values.
• Ideologies appear to be moral in tone and aspire
  to perfect our behavior (e.g. counter laziness,
  or selfishness)
• They are often supported by constitutions,
  manifestos or writings (e.g the Communist
  Manifesto)
• They discuss issues such as leadership, political
  succession and electoral behavior

6
Dominant Ideologies

• Dominant Ideologies support the existing social
  and political arrangements (e.g. Conservatism in
  the United States after 9/11)
• Ideologies that dominate in a society are ones
  that carry the message of the elites through the
  Agents of Socialization such as
• Governments (Political Parties, Pressure Groups)
• The Schools
• The Media
• Families and Peer Groups

7
Dominant Ideologies

• What is the sign that a particular ideology is
  dominating the political discourse?
• The majority of the population accepts the
  ideology without hesitation (e.g. The Free-market
  system in the United States).
• The most powerful people in the country (the
  elites) accept the ideology.
• The existence of a dominate ideology allows a
  society to keep subordinate groups in check (e.g.
  Communists, anarchists, etc) as long as they
  constitute a minority in society

Anti- Globalization Protestors Kept in check in
Seattle, USA.
8
Counter-Ideologies

• The role of counter ideologies is to advance
  radical reform in society
• In Canada, groups such as the Marxist-Leninist
  Party serve such a role.
• They normally develop in response to a perceived
  inequality in society.
• There main job is to challenge the status quo.
• Feminism is certainly an example of a counter
  ideology in the extent that it seeks to challenge
  inequalities in the workplace based on gender
  (e.g. equal pay for work of equal value)

9
The impact of Counter Ideologies

• It is the stresses that exist between dominant
  ideologies and counter ideologies that produce
  real political change.
• In fact, the origin of of a dominant ideology is
  usually a counter ideology
• Examples
• The Russian Revolution of 1917 (Communism)
• The French Revolution of 1789 (Liberalism)
• The CCFs plan for medicare
• The green counter-ideology of fighting
  Greenhouse gas emissions is now a part of
  mainstream political platforms

Tommy Douglas
David Suzuki
10
The Major Components of Ideologies

• The state of human nature
• The role of the individual in society
• The role of the state
• The sources and limits of political authority
• The preferred economic and social order

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
11
Ideologies Human Nature

• Are human beings born to be basically good or
  basically bad (innate), or is behavior the result
  of social conditioning?
• For conservatives, human behavior is
  unchangeable. The role of government is to
  control the undesirable consequences of human
  behavior (Thomas Hobbes)
• For Liberals, humans are inherently good. As a
  result, we dont need to be so tightly controlled
  by government

12
Ideologies Role of the Individual

• Is it the role of the individual to serve the
  interests of the government, or the role of the
  government to serve the needs of the individual?
• With Communism, the welfare of the individual is
  subordinate to the interests of the state.
• For Liberals, the role of the government is to
  provide the conditions for individual freedom
  (e.g. Constitution guarantees individual rights).
  The rights of the individual in many cases takes
  precedence over the rights of the state (e.g.
  private property).

Free Trade and Economic Liberalism
13
Ideologies Role of the State

• In some ideologies, the state is essentially a
  symbol of evil in society (e.g. Anarchism).
  Individual liberty is threatened by the existence
  of strong government control. This is the theory
  of Absolute power corrupts absolutely
• Most modern ideologies (e.g. social democracy)
  maintain that a strong government (with limits)
  is necessary in order to maintain social order
  and living standards (e.g. public healthcare and
  education)

What limits should be placed on
individual Freedom?
14
Ideologies Limits on Political Authority

• In some ideologies (Western democracies),
  political authority is derived by the consent of
  the governed (e.g. through elections).
• For fascists and Marxist-Leninists, political
  authority is derived by the will of the state or
  dictators. Consensus is needed in order to
  guarantee social order and progress
• For democrats, consent is needed by the people to
  justify their power. The people decide to give
  up their individual power to the state. This is
  also known as the concept of political legitimacy.

What limits were placed on their power?
15
Ideologies The Preferred Economic and Social
Order

• Ideologies have to deal with the fundamental
  question of who controls the wealth in society.
  Should wealth be equally shared, or should some
  individuals be allowed to possess more wealth
  than others?
• For communists, private ownership is not allowed.
  They are committed to providing an equitable
  distribution of wealth
• For capitalists, people need to compete with one
  another in order to have an incentive for
  material gain. Economic and social inequities
  are allowed to exist

Microsofts Bill Gates
Wall Street Billionaire Warren Buffett
16
Democratic Ideologies

• The beginnings of democracy can be traced back to
  the Greeks.
• Pericles (495-429 BC) declared that ancient
  Athens (Greece) was a democracy because power
  rested in the hands of the many instead of the
  few.
• Aristotle (384-322 BC) wrote in his famous work
  Politics, that direct popular government would
  create mob rule. What was needed was majority
  rule with respect for individual rights. This
  would later be known as Constitutional Democracy.
• Socrates and Plato were both very critical of
  democracy since they felt that it would produce
  undesirable outcomes.

The Trial of Socrates
17
Democratic Ideologies

• In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a series of
  political philosophers would make great
  contributions to our present understanding of
  what is democracy such as
• Thomas Hobbes
• John Locke
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau
• John Stuart Mill
• Alexis de Tocqueville

Jean-Jacques Rousseau
18
Democratic Ideologies Liberalism

• Political Ideologies The Big Three In Canada
• Part 1 Liberalism
• Origins
• In Canada, liberal ideas were key factors in
  establishing the concept of responsible
  government (1830-1840)
• Liberal theories date back to the Enlightenment,
  Ancient Rome
• Early influential liberal thinkers John Locke
  (life, liberty, property) and John Stuart Mill
  (utilitarian liberalism)

John Stuart Mill
19
Democratic Ideologies Liberalism

• The 20th Century
• Through two world wars in Canada, liberalism
  emphasized the importance of rights (civil and
  human)
• Liberals emphasized representative democracy
  (legitimate and limited power), human rights
  (Charter of Rights Freedoms), and rules of
  procedure (parliamentary process, judicial
  review)
• Most dominant ideology in this century

Queen Elizabeth signs Canadas Charter of Rights
and Freedoms
Pierre Elliott Trudeau
20
Democratic Ideologies Liberalism

• What Makes A Liberal?
• Liberals stress equality of opportunity, reject
  special treatment for those with privilege
• Equality before the law
• Freedom is a leading value and it is pluralistic
  freedom of association, freedom of religion,
  freedom of assembly
• Liberals are thought to be more permissive and
  open to change than Conservatives (e.g. same-sex
  marriage)

Barack Obama
Stephen Lewis
21
Democratic Ideologies Liberalism

• Different Kinds of Liberals
• The most common issue that Liberals disagree
  among themselves about is how to manage the
  economy
• Egalitarian liberalism welfare state,
  progressive taxation, equalization payments,
  state intervention (left of centre)
• Libertarian liberalism rejects attempts of
  state to achieve social equality by manipulating
  the economy (right of centre)

Liberal Prime Minister Paul Martin Jr.
22
Key Liberal Principles

• Rule of Law Protects citizens from tyranny by
  having all people equal under the law
• Responsible Govt All govt officials are
  accountable to the people (electoral process)
• Civil Liberties The freedoms of thought,
  expression, religion and freedom of the press
• Constitutionalism The establishment of a
  specific document that defines and limits the
  powers of government (e.g. the Canadian BNA Act)
• Individualism The role of the govt is to serve
  the interests of the individual so that each
  person can maximize their individual potential

Former Prime Minister Lester B Pearson
23
Key Liberal Principles

• Majority Rule Govt decisions are made in
  response to the wishes of the majority (not the
  minority)
• Popular Sovereignty The source of the govts
  power flows from the people
• International Co-operation Liberals (economic
  liberals), calls for the elimination of trade
  barriers between nations (e.g. tariffs, quotas)
  in order to promote economic growth and
  international co-operation

Adam Smith
24
Democratic Ideologies Conservatism

• Conservatism
• Defined from the Latin word conservare to
  keep, guard, observe a commitment to preserve
  tradition while recognizing there needs to be
  gradual improvement
• Change is not as important as respecting laws and
  traditions, therefore conservatives are against
  radicalism

Edmund Burke
25
Democratic Ideologies Conservatism

• Types of Conservatism
• Cultural wants to enshrine the existing or
  received heritage of a nation may reject
  attempts to change culture many believe in a
  universal morality while others think moral codes
  should only apply within a nation
• Religious most conservatives believe in some
  type of religion or organized faith that is
  established and has centuries of tradition (East
  and West) religious conservative values may
  include referring to God, opposing abortion

26
Democratic Ideologies Conservatism

• Fiscal a commitment to reducing government
  spending and debt govt does not have the right
  to run up large debts and then throw the burden
  on the taxpayer

Senator John McCain
27
Key Conservative Principles

• Reverence for the past Societies obtain wisdom
  from their customs and traditions and must
  respect the accomplishments of their ancestors
• Constitutional continuity Constitutions need to
  be maintained. Avoid sudden changes
• Opposition to Revolution Conservatives reject
  radical change
• The Religious Basis of the State The state has
  the moral, religious character. It is not just
  political and economic

28
Key Principles Contd

• The priority of duties over rights Conservatives
  recognize that individuals have personal rights
  and civic duties. They must not forget their
  duties
• Loyalty Conservatives demonstrate loyalty to the
  church, family, school and the prime institutions
  of the nation
• Common Sense and Pragmatism Conservative are
  practical

George Bush
29
Democratic Socialism

• Political Ideologies The Big Three In Canada
• Part 2 Socialism
• Origins
• Socialism was first used in late 19th century
  to condemn capitalist systems
• most early socialists believed in the abolition
  of markets, private property, and of not treating
  labour as a commodity

Tommy Douglas
30
Socialism

• Early influential socialist thinkers
  Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Francois Noel Babeuf
  (complete economic and political equality)
• Most influential thinker was arguably Karl Marx,
  who wrote of the class struggle between workers
  and the bourgeoisie
• In Canada, socialist and social democratic ideas
  have been expressed mainly by the old CCF
  (Co-Operative Commonwealth Federation) and the
  NDP (New Democratic Party)

Karl Marx
31
Marxism vs Democratic Socialism

• Marxism vs. Democratic Socialism
• General perspectives on class struggle and
  emphasis on the worker are similar
• Marxists believe that class struggle will end
  only if the working class controls the means of
  production (socialism of distribution)
• Social Democrats accept capitalist economies but
  believe in public ownership and state
  intervention in the economy (socialism of
  economic production)
• Where Marxist Socialists advocate for complete
  control of the economy, Social Democrats believe
  in the democratic process (elections) and accept
  private ownership

32
Socialism

• A Socialists Values
• Socialist values prioritize social equality above
  all else, including economic freedom (contrary to
  Conservatives and many Liberals)
• In Canada, the NDP has been primarily concerned
  with social justice issues
• Health care, Housing, Public Education, the
  Elderly

Bob Rae Former Leader of the Ontario NDP
33
Socialism Contd

• Socialists believe in a strong central state with
  extensive government agencies
• Over the last several years, social democrats
  have also expressed concern about U.S. influence
  in our economy (e.g. free trade)

Maude Barlow President of The Council of
Canadians
34
Non-Democratic Ideologies

• Fascism in Italy Benito Mussolini
• The Beginning
• Mussolini was heavily influenced by the fascist
  model in Rerum Novarum, written by Pope Leo XIII
  in 1892
• The state was like a human body (working with one
  mind no class struggle)
• In 1919, Mussolinis fascist party participated
  in Italys elections
• Initial program called for a democratic
  republic, separation of church state, a
  national army, progressive taxation on inherited
  wealth
• As the movement grew in strength, several of
  these were abandoned (e.g. progressive tax)
• Mussolini exploited fears regarding both
  capitalism and the rise of communism fascism
  became the third way

Mussolini
35
Fascism

• Fascist Reign
• Mussolini was appointed President of Italys
  council by the King in 1922 to avoid further
  violence
• The King still controlled the army, but Mussolini
  operated a coalition govt
• Socialist Deputy Giacomo Matteotti was
  assassinated shortly after Mussolini accepted
  responsibility for his death and proclaimed a
  dictatorship in which his party was identified as
  the state
• In the 1930s, Italy recovered from the Great
  Depression by creating domestic substitutes to
  replace imports and this increased Mussolinis
  support
• In 1935, Mussolini invaded Ethiopia (used
  chemical weapons, mustard gas) killed women and
  children creating international sanctions

Mussolini and Hitler
36
Fascism

• Mussolinis Fall
• Before the war started, Mussolini began an
  alliance with Hitler and passed anti-Semitic laws
  in 1938
• Allies invaded southern Italy in 1943 and
  captured Mussolini
• Nazis helped him escape temporarily and he set up
  a govt in northern Italy before being captured
  again and executed
• Mussolinis Influence
• The most obvious influence is nationalism
• Mussolini wanted to affirm an Italian identity
  and restore greatness
• Use of propaganda (believe, obey, fight)

37
Fascism

• Fascism (fascismo)
• Definition a political philosophy or movement
  that promotes nation and often race above the
  individual a centralized autocratic government
  led by a dictator of the extreme right who
  suppresses his opposition (by force)

38
Fascism

• Development of Fascism
• A reaction against democratic capitalist
  economies and communism
• Rejected notion of social classes and class
  conflict
• Embraced idea of national pride
• Legitimacy through strength and power (might
  makes right)
• War for nationalist purposes and unification of
  race becomes glorified
• Had appeal for anti-communists and those upset
  with capitalism

39
Fascism

• Control Economic and Otherwise
• Regulates and controls the means of production
• Economy is run by the state and the wealthiest
  people
• The state is superior to the individual (unlike
  communism)
• Past greatness must be restored (e.g. Italy The
  Roman Empire)
• System demands loyalty to a single leader
• Political support came from big business,
  farmers, nationalists, reactionaries, and some
  World War I veterans

40
Fascism

• Is Fascism Still Relevant?
• Although there are numerous right-wing parties
  throughout the world, there are no
  self-proclaimed fascist parties
• Neo-Nazis and Mussolini sympathizers are often
  referred to as fascists
• Some critics of right wing politics consider
  corporatism to be fascist in nature countries
  with large corporations who heavily influence a
  states economy (U.S., Canada)
• We are free to believe that this is the century
  of authority.
• - Benito Mussolini

Neo-Nazi Movement
41
Communism

• Developed by Karl Marx (1818-1883)
• In 1844, Marx met Friedrich Engels (social
  scientist). In 1847, they wrote the Communist
  Manifesto. The central ideas were
• The abolition of private property
• The re-organization of society in which there
  would no longer be a separation of society based
  upon social and economic class

42
Communism

• The root cause of the class struggle is between
  those who control the Means of Production (The
  Bourgeoisie), and those who work for them (The
  Proletariat).
• The Capitalist Mode of Production, produces
  social and economic inequities that are
  inevitable (e.g. 99 of the wealth is controlled
  by 1 of the population).

43
Communism

• For Marx, a revolution of the workers was
  inevitable whereby the Proletariat would seize
  control of the means of production and produce a
  more egalitarian distribution of resources.

The Russian Revolution
44
Communism

• Vladimir Lenin (1870-1924) was a Bolshevik
  revolutionary who had studied the theories of
  Marx and Engels.
• He developed what would later be known as
  Marxist-Leninism an ideology that mixed the
  economic and social theories of communism with
  the political arrangement of an autocratic elite.

n
Lenin
45
Communism

• Lenins justification for dictatorship was based
  on the idea that the common classes were not
  capable of successfully delivering the central
  theories of Marxism. Democracy was not embraced.
  
• Joseph Stalin would take this further!

Lenin and Stalin