Ideology from a Philosophical Standpoint and a Personal Reflection

Ideology from a philosophical standpoint and a Personal Reflection

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents
Ideology from a philosophical standpoint and a Personal Reflection 3
Introduction 3
What is Political Ideology? 3
Philosophy of Ideology 3
A Personal Reflection on Ideologies 4
My Liberal Ideological Thought 6
Conclusion 8
References 9

Introduction
All people are political thinkers. Whether they know it or not, people use political ideas and concepts whenever they express their opinions or speak their mind(Heywood, 2003). The ideas that we think of, come up with and try to use in everyday life can be summed up as ideologies. In the political phase, ideas are important vehicles for progress and development.
What is Political Ideology?
Ideology has been dubbed “the most elusive concept in the whole of social science”(McLellan , 1986). Few political terms have been the subject of such deep and impassioned controversy. However, ideology can be described to mean the following; a political belief system, an action-oriented set of political ideas, the ideas of the ruling class, the world view of a particular social class or social group. One of the meanings that struck me the most was that an ideology can mean ideas that situate the individual within a social context and generate a sense of collective belonging. This meaning can best explain the source of one’s traditional belief system, thought process and character placing. It is a result of this that one can place himself in an established political system or what we term as polity in the political science discipline.
Philosophy of Ideology
The word ideology was coined during the French Revolution by Antoine Destutt de Tracy (1754-1836), and was first used in public in 1796(Heywood, 2003). For de Tracy, ideology referred to a new ‘science of ideas’, literally an idea-ology. Karl Marx made the term gained political currency over time. Marx’s use of the term, and the interest shown in it by later generations of Marxist thinkers, largely explains the prominence ideology enjoys in modern social and political thought.
An ideology begins with the belief that things can be better; it is a plan to improve society. In politics, ideology cements together movements, parties and revolutionary groups. To fight and endure sacrifices, people need ideological motivation, something to believe in. Ideology is a pattern of beliefs and concepts (both factual and normative) which purport to explain complex social phenomena with a view to directing and simplifying socio-political choices facing individuals and groups.
This definition of ideology appears to be too broad in its denotation. In fact, it hides a long history of changes in the descriptive use of the term "ideology", and, like all definitions, it subsumes the varied attempts that have been made to analyze the theoretical connotations of the concept. We have seen that it was Marx that gave the term more political currency. Although Marx had been nurtured in the Hegelian philosophical tradition, he, with other "left Hegelians", had reacted against its substance because of what he perceived to be its profound religiosity. Hegel had conceived of his philosophy as an indictment of the Kantian synthesis-of Cartesian dualism and Lockean empiricism(Locke, 1924).
A Personal Reflection on Ideologies
Since the late twentieth century a series of political, social and cultural upheavals has refashioned the world in which we live, creating the impression that history is speeding up. With this, we have reformulated our political thought with each era. The most significant of these changes have been the changing of the world order, postmodernity and the advent of capitalist.
The changing world order has been significantly changed as a result of the end of the Cold War, brought about by the collapse of communism in the eastern European revolutions of 1989-91, and more recently by the advent of terrorism. The Cold War era was characterized by a battle of two ideologies. The battle between communism and capitalism lasted for 50 years. The world affairs were determined by the camp that you belonged. The ramifications of the end to the Cold War were immense. The collapse of the Berlin Wall and the triumph of capitalist democracy changed the ideological setting of the world.
Africa was not left a side in this battle. Post-Cold War meant a new wave of democracy cries with the continent. Different countries within Africa started what was known as second-liberation movements. These movements fought for an increased state of open democracy, expanded freedoms, and rule of law, human rights and governance. This new set of ideological leaning was based on the liberal democracy idea. A liberal democracy is one that champions the respect for human rights and increased freedoms embedded in the rule of law and constitutional legitimacy.
On post modernity, the birth of political ideologies can be traced back to the processes through which the modern world came into existence. The process of modernization had social, political and cultural dimensions. Socially, it was linked to the emergence of increasingly market oriented and capitalist economies, dominated by new social classes, the middle class and the working class. Politically, it involved the replacement of monarchial absolutism through the advancement of constitutional and democratic space. The major political ideological change just like the end to the Cold War was that of capitalist democracy. It has also seen the growth of new ideals such as gay and lesbian rights, gender rights, ecologism, green movements and post-feminist ideologies.
Globalization is also another important phase of change in ideological formulations. The expanding of global interconnectedness and increased ‘borderless’ world has further impacted on ideological formulation(Heywood, 2003). Globalization affects political ideologies in a variety of ways. First, it has major implications for nationalism and for other ideological projects that are based upon the nation. Second, globalization is by no means a neutral ideological force in its own right. This means that it has strengthened world interactions and weakened national sovereignty. Thirdly, globalization has strengthened political activism in the world.
My Liberal Ideological Thought
The fall of the Berlin Wall in late 1989 heralded a new conception of liberal thought. Although the English Revolution of the seventeenth century and the American and French Revolution of the late eighteenth century signifying a new embodiment of liberal thought, the end of the Cold War strengthened this ideal. When Fukuyama (1992) wrote on the End of History, he posited the triumph of capitalist democracy.
Fukuyama’s thesis of The End of History and the Last Man, the critical discourse of the triumph of capitalism and modern liberal democracy is central. Fukuyama’s thesis explains why capitalism and liberal democracy are inseparable features of the modern world and its impact on contemporary international relations theory and system. The ideas of Fukuyama revolve around the idea of history as conceived by historian Hegel. His operating perspective refers to the ‘end of history is an endeavor to resurrect Hegel’s idea of a philosophical history which assumes that humans discern a shape and direction in the flow of events which make up their history.
The liberal tradition in international relations looks into rights and individual welfare as the normative basis for international institutions and global exchange (Keohane, 1990).In this description of liberal regimes, Michael Doyle notes four definitional characteristics. These include the presence of private market-based economies, the existence of external sovereignty, a citizenry with juridical rights and republican representative government (Doyle, 1995). In addition to this, liberals generally take a positive view of human nature. They have great faith in human reason and they are convinced that rational principles can be applied in international affairs (Jackson & Sorensen, 2007).More so, liberals recognize that individuals are self-interested and competitive up to a point. They also believe that individuals share many interests and can thus engage in collaborative and cooperative social action, domestically as well as internationally, which results in greater benefits for everybody at home and abroad.(Jackson &Sorensen,2007).Much emphasis on this traditional image of liberalism is placed on the individual.
Liberal thinking is closely connected with the emergence of the modern constitutional state. Liberals argue that modernization is a process involving progress in most areas of life. This process of modernization enlarges the scope for cooperation across international boundaries.
This ideology forms my point of departure in my analysis of global politics. It is the ideology that forms my idiosyncrasy and source of political thought. I am a man who believes in persona; freedom. This is a distinct value of liberal thought. It is a commitment to individual freedom based on the inherent right of one as a human being. As exposed by various liberal ideologues such as John Stuart Mill, John Locke etc., the idea of freedom is a crucial element of the liberal ideology. The other crucial component is that of tolerance and diversity. As a liberal adherent, I believe that remains an important element to the liberal ideology. The liberal social ethic is very much characterized by a willingness to accept and, in some cases, celebrate moral, cultural and political diversity. Indeed, pluralism or diversity can be said to be rooted in the principle of individualism, and the assumption that human beings are separate and unique creatures. Tolerance means forbearance, a willingness to allow people to think, speak and act in ways which we disapprove.
Conclusion
These ideals form my ineffable belief in equality, justice, rationalism and reason. As a political creature, this shall be my lifelong ideals which will direct my life. I will vote according to these ideals, and this shall be my guiding principles when relating to people.