Ideology: A definition

What is an Ideology?

A very simple definition - An Ideology is a set of ideas.

Ideologies influence what we wish to achieve, what we expect from the world around us and what your actions are likely to be.

It's a word that is interchangeable with 'worldview'.

But more importantly, it is a term that can be extended to social groups that sway influence over its members. Like a dominant class of a society that has the power to propose sets of ideas to its members.  Or alternatively, leaders of a cult that can sway cultists by communicating certain sets of ideas.

Ideology can be used either to oppose existing modes of dominant ideological belief systems to incite change in society. Or they can be used to maintain member adherence to a set of ideals where conformity already exists.


There is also the concept of Meta-ideology - which analyses ideologies not just for the content of their ideas, but also the structure, the form and the manifestations of those ideologies.

Essentially, Meta-ideology stipulates that ideology is a coherent system of ideas that relies upon a few basic assumptions about reality. Meta-ideology holds that ideologies themselves are not right or wrong, but merely and intellectual way to categorise and make sense of the world.

Below is a very simplistic political compass that maps current political figures based on their ideologies.

Here's a link to see where you lie on the political compass:

http://www.politicalcompass.org/test


In the coming posts I would like to delve into a much deeper analysis of ideology. The above political compass doesn't seem very relevant in today's world - especially considering that the dominant socio-economic ideology of global capitalism has overtaken everything. The diversity of (left/right/liberal/state) Ideologies just don't exist as they used to a few decades ago.

Some topics I'd like to go over in future posts:

Is there a distinction between between a person who holds an ideology and an Ideologist? (i.e A person who shares the values of feminism and a feminist) - and if so, what constitutes this distinction.

Further analysis into Meta-ideology.


Ideology in the context of globalised capitalism.

Addressing Marx's perspective on Ideology.