Liberalism
Lecture 10 & 11-Ideology
This week essay based on Gerald MacCallum, last week’s articles
Essay Assignment November 4th
Instructions, Guidelines
Topics
Opinion based on research (secondary)
Extension of a week to November 11th for any reason
1. What are ideologies
2. Key Feature of ideologies
3. What is “special” about ideologies?
4. What is the history of the concept?
5. Positive vs. Negative conception of ideology
6. Complications of studying them
What are ideologies?
Competing conceptual frameworks
Clusters/composites of political beliefs, values and ideas
“a pattern of social, political, economic, technological and philosophical beliefs that help us organize the world around us.” P. X
Grounded in beliefs about human nature and social possibility (what is, and what could be)
What do ideologies do?
Explain or inform – what is going on?
Judge-what should I think about this?
Guide political actions- what should I do about this?
Inform social relations-Who are my allies? My enemies? What is my relationship to other in this? Etc.
Key Features of ideologies
Historically contingent-constantly changing/shifting
Changes in central concepts (meanings) and also in relation of concepts to other concepts (e.g. relationship of freedom to equality)
Include “core” and “adjacent” concepts
Both rational and emotional
Normative and prescriptive
In various affinities/alliances with each other (historically shifting)
Include a spectrum of views
Frequently claim to be true, to be non-ideological
What is special about political ideologies-Michael Freeden
Differentiating ideologies from political theories/philosophies
1) Typicality
2) Influence
3) Conceptual Creativity
4) Communicability
History of Ideologies
Link to democracy, to concern with public opinion
1) As a scientific term of study, Destute de Tracie
2) As a term denouncing rationalists as “ideological”
3) As a term describing all political
This week essay based on Gerald MacCallum, last week’s articles
Essay Assignment November 4th
Instructions, Guidelines
Topics
Opinion based on research (secondary)
Extension of a week to November 11th for any reason
1. What are ideologies
2. Key Feature of ideologies
3. What is “special” about ideologies?
4. What is the history of the concept?
5. Positive vs. Negative conception of ideology
6. Complications of studying them
What are ideologies?
Competing conceptual frameworks
Clusters/composites of political beliefs, values and ideas
“a pattern of social, political, economic, technological and philosophical beliefs that help us organize the world around us.” P. X
Grounded in beliefs about human nature and social possibility (what is, and what could be)
What do ideologies do?
Explain or inform – what is going on?
Judge-what should I think about this?
Guide political actions- what should I do about this?
Inform social relations-Who are my allies? My enemies? What is my relationship to other in this? Etc.
Key Features of ideologies
Historically contingent-constantly changing/shifting
Changes in central concepts (meanings) and also in relation of concepts to other concepts (e.g. relationship of freedom to equality)
Include “core” and “adjacent” concepts
Both rational and emotional
Normative and prescriptive
In various affinities/alliances with each other (historically shifting)
Include a spectrum of views
Frequently claim to be true, to be non-ideological
What is special about political ideologies-Michael Freeden
Differentiating ideologies from political theories/philosophies
1) Typicality
2) Influence
3) Conceptual Creativity
4) Communicability
History of Ideologies
Link to democracy, to concern with public opinion
1) As a scientific term of study, Destute de Tracie
2) As a term denouncing rationalists as “ideological”
3) As a term describing all political