The Role Of Ideology In Society

The term ideology was coined by French philosopher Antoine Destutt de Tracy (1754-1836), during the French Revolution (Heywood, 2012). De Tracy referred to ideology as a new “science of ideas”, a general science of “our intellectual faculties, their principle phenomena and the more remarkable circumstances of their activities”. De Tracy believed that this new science of ideas would one day enjoy similar status to that of established sciences such as biology and zoology (Heywood, 2012). To go one step further de Tracy even asserted that due to ideas being the basis of all forms of enquiry ideology would eventually be considered “the queen of the sciences” (Heywood, 2012). However the original meaning of the term has had relatively little effect

However, as Heywood simply puts, an ideology may be understood as a “coherent set of ideas which provides, the basis for organised political action, whether this is intended to preserve, modify or overthrow the existing system of power” (Heywood, 2012). In this essay I will attempt to explore fully what ideology is, its role in society and its importance. In completing this task I will look to a number of prominent ideologies and the influence they have had in building societies. I will begin my essay by discussing the Marxist view of what ideology is, and also the non-Marxist view of ideology, so as to understand the different perspectives relating to the ambiguous term. Following this I will look at how ideology often interlinks with both religion and politics. I then plan to assess three eminent and diverse ideologies, discussing in detail their development and prominence as an aid to better understanding what ideology is and its importance in the

the class which is the ruling material force of society, is at the same time ruling intellectual force. The class which has the means of material production at its disposal, has control at the same time over the means of mental production, so that thereby, generally speaking, the ideas of those who lack the means of mental production are subject to it” (Marx & Engels, 1970). Marx’s concept of ideology relays to the view that ideology serves to delude and mystify. It provides a false or skewed view of the world, what Engels referred to as a false consciousness. False consciousness is the delusion and mystification caused by ideology which prevents the subordinate class in society from recognising their own exploitation (Heywood, 2012). Marx believed that this false consciousness was caused by the distortion evident in ideology, and that this in turn was due to the fact that ideology only reflects the interests and perspectives on society of the ruling class (Heywood, 2012). Liberalism is therefore, from this perspective, the classic example of ideology as the rights it portrays as universal entitlements can only be enjoyed by the propertied and the privileged (Heywood, 2012). For Marx ideology constitutes as the ruling ideas