Module 2-Polgov

P O L I T I C A L ID E A S A N D
ID E OL O G I E S
MODULE 2
IDEAS
- GOVERN INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIORS.
- A FORMULATED THOUGHT OR OPINION.
- MENTAL REPRESENTATIONAL IMAGES OF SOME OBJECT.
- A THOUGHT OR COLLECTION OF THOUGHTS THAT GENERATE IN THE MIND
- CONSTITUTE A PART OF THE RAW MATERIAL NEEDED TO CREATE ONE COHERENT (CLARITY)
DOCTRINE.
POLITICAL IDEAS
- SETS OF BASIC BELIEFS ABOUT THE POLITICAL,

ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS HELD BY THE
MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WITHIN THE SOCIETY.
HOW POLITICAL IDEAS ARE SHAPED AND RESHAPED?
THROUGH CURRENT:
• SOCIO-HISTORICAL CIRCUMSTANCES – INVOLVING SOCIAL HISTORY OR A

COMBINATION OF SOCIAL AND HISTORICAL FACTORS.
• ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES – DEALS WITH FACTORS THAT INVOLVES THE WEALTH

AND RESOURCES OF A COUNTRY OF A REGION, ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF THE
PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION OF GOODS AND SERVICES.
• POLITICAL CIRCUMSTANCES – ANYTHING THAT DEALS WITH INTERACTION.

REMEMBER !!!
“WHETHER YOU ARE CONSCIOUS OR NOT, IDEAS
GOVERN INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOUR AND CONDUCT.
WHAT YOU BELIEVE TO BE MOST IMPORTANT AND
WHAT YOU VALUE THE MOST, SHAPE AND RESHAPE
THE WAY YOU BEHAVE, THAT IS THE POWER OF
POLITICAL IDEAS.”
THE NATURE OF POLITICAL IDEOLOGY
IDEOLOGY- MORE OR LESS A COHERENT SET OF IDEAS THAT DIRECT OR ORGANIZE A
SPECIFIC ACTION.
- CONSISTS OF BELIEF AND VALUE SYSTEMS, A DISCUSSION OF EXISTING POWER
RELATIONSHIPS, AN EXPLORATION OF HOW POLITICAL CHANGE IS ACHIEVED IN LINE WITH
THESE POWER RELATIONS AND ILLUSTRATION OF A DESIRED FUTURE.
• 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
• POLITICAL IDEAS THAT EMBODY OR ARTICULATE CLASS OR SOCIAL INTERESTS
• IDEAS THAT PROPAGATE FALSE CONSCIOUSNESS AMONGST THE EXPLOITED OR
OPPRESSED
• AN OFFICIALLY SANCTIONED SET OF IDEAS USED TO LEGITIMIZE A POLITICAL SYSTEM OR

REGIME.
• IDEAS THAT SITUATE THE INDIVIDUAL WITHIN A SOCIAL CONTEXT AND GENERATE A
SENSE OF COLLECTIVE BELONGING
• AN ALL-EMBRACING POLITICAL DOCTRINE THAT CLAIMS A MONOPOLY

• AN ABSTRACT AND HIGHLY SYSTEMATIC SET OF POLITICAL IDEAS.
MAJOR POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES
MAJOR POLITICAL KEY TENETS
IDEOLOGIES
LIBERALISM Belief in individualism underscores the importance of the human individual compared
to any other group.
Liberty of the individual must be protected.
Reason can lead individuals to make wise judgements, which could solve issues or
differences.
Equality implies that individuals are born equal, at least in moral term.
Tolerance is the willingness of individuals to allow others to think and behave in ways
they do not approve.
Authority and social relationships must also be based on agreement or consent.

IDEOLOGIES
CONSERVATISM Tradition must be conserved.
The belief of pragmatism highlights the limits of human reason.

- Emphasizes that action should be shaped by practical circumstances and goals.
Human imperfection presents the pessimistic view of conservatives on the individual.
Organicism- believe that society is an organic whole and is a living entity, more than
being an artifact of human ingenuity.
Hierarchy is thought to be inevitable.
Authority must be exercised from above.
Conservatives look at property as significant because it is the individual’s source of

security and independence from the government.
IDEOLOGIES
SOCIALISM Community highlights the degree to which the individual is connected with
others.
Brotherhood or fraternity speaks of a shared common humanity.
Socialists put primacy on social equality over other values.

- Believed to be the basis for social stability and cohesion.
Social class is believed to be an important social cleavage, which society

divides.
Common ownership is also central socialist thought.

- A means to harness material resources for the common good.
IDEOLOGIES
MARXISIM Historical materialism provides that the economy (mode of production)
conditions all other aspects of social life- including the law, government,
politics, education, etc.
The dialectic, a process of interaction between competing forces, drives change

and leads to a higher stage of development.
The exploitation of the proletariat(workers) by the capitalists (owners of the

means of production) would develop class consciousness among the former,
hence ushering a proletarian revolution which will facilitate the creation of a
communist society.
A communist society- on that is classless and stateless- will arise when class
antagonism fade.
IDEOLOGIES
SOCIAL Stands for a balance between the market and the state, and between the
DEMOCRACY individual and the community.
Promotes compromise between the acceptance of capitalism and the

distribution of wealth according to moral, rather than market principles.
Concerned with the weak, the vulnerable, and the underdog.
Compassion, common humanity, freedom, equal opportunities, paternal duty,

and care are among the values social democracy recognizes.
IDEOLOGIES
FASCISM An ultranationalist ideology.
- Subscribes to the idea of supreme race, whose members should enjoy
natural resources.
Fascism was manifested during Mussolini’s fascist dictatorship in Italy and

Hitler’s Nazi in Germany.
Upheld struggle, leadership, power, heroism and war.
The “new man” or hero who is motivated by duty, honor, and self-sacrifice; and
gives unrelenting obedience to the supreme leader is a fascist ideal.
An anti-character: antiliberalism, anti-individualism, anticapitalism, etc.
Believe in a unified national community or strength through unity.

IDEOLOGIES
ANARCHISM The state, or any political authority, is seen as both evil and
unnecessary.
Prefer a stateless society.
Anarchism is thus at the intersection of liberalism and socialism.

IDEOLOGIES
FEMINISM The desire to enhance the social role of women.
Society is characterized by sexual or gender inequality.
The structure of male power must be overturned, hence the belief in gender
equality.
IDEOLOGIES
SOCIALISM Community highlights the degree to which the individual is connected with
others.
Brotherhood or fraternity speaks of a shared common humanity.
Socialists put primacy on social equality over other values.

- Believed to be the basis for social stability and cohesion.
Social class is believed to be an important social cleavage, which society

divides.
Common ownership is also central socialist thought.

- A means to harness material resources for the common good.
IDEOLOGIES
GREEN POLITICS/ Linked with the emergence of environmental movement.
ECOLOGISM
Concerned with the damages brought by economic development and by the
declining quality of human existence.
Conventional ideologies are a vehicle of ecologism.

- Ecosocialism looks at the destruction of the environment due to capitalism.
- Ecofeminism traces this crisis to male power
- Ecoconservatism links the cause of conservation to the desire to preserve
tradition and institution
IDEOLOGIES
COSMOPOLITANISM Ideological expression of globalization.
It is a belief in a cosmopolis or a world state.

- Associated with the project of world government.
Tends to have a moral or a cultural character, believing that the world

constitutes a single moral community.
Focuses on the idea that all other people in the world have obligations to each
other regardless of nationality, ethnicity, and the like.

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P O L I T I C A L ID E A S A N D

- SETS OF BASIC BELIEFS ABOUT THE POLITICAL,

• SOCIO-HISTORICAL CIRCUMSTANCES – INVOLVING SOCIAL HISTORY OR A

• ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES – DEALS WITH FACTORS THAT INVOLVES THE WEALTH

• POLITICAL CIRCUMSTANCES – ANYTHING THAT DEALS WITH INTERACTION.

• AN OFFICIALLY SANCTIONED SET OF IDEAS USED TO LEGITIMIZE A POLITICAL SYSTEM OR

• AN ALL-EMBRACING POLITICAL DOCTRINE THAT CLAIMS A MONOPOLY

Liberty of the individual must be protected.

Authority and social relationships must also be based on agreement or consent.

The belief of pragmatism highlights the limits of human reason.

Human imperfection presents the pessimistic view of conservatives on the individual.

Hierarchy is thought to be inevitable.

Authority must be exercised from above.

Conservatives look at property as significant because it is the individual’s source of

Brotherhood or fraternity speaks of a shared common humanity.

Socialists put primacy on social equality over other values.

Social class is believed to be an important social cleavage, which society

Common ownership is also central socialist thought.

The dialectic, a process of interaction between competing forces, drives change

The exploitation of the proletariat(workers) by the capitalists (owners of the

Promotes compromise between the acceptance of capitalism and the

Concerned with the weak, the vulnerable, and the underdog.

Compassion, common humanity, freedom, equal opportunities, paternal duty,

Fascism was manifested during Mussolini’s fascist dictatorship in Italy and

Upheld struggle, leadership, power, heroism and war.

An anti-character: antiliberalism, anti-individualism, anticapitalism, etc.

Believe in a unified national community or strength through unity.

Prefer a stateless society.

Anarchism is thus at the intersection of liberalism and socialism.

Society is characterized by sexual or gender inequality.

Brotherhood or fraternity speaks of a shared common humanity.

Socialists put primacy on social equality over other values.

Social class is believed to be an important social cleavage, which society

Common ownership is also central socialist thought.

Conventional ideologies are a vehicle of ecologism.

It is a belief in a cosmopolis or a world state.

Tends to have a moral or a cultural character, believing that the world

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