Does Ideology Matter in Politics Anymore?
Does ideology matter in politics anymore?
Political ideology has been an intrinsic part of world history for over two hundred years (Heywood 1998). The modern world was moulded by ideology resulting in political, economic and social upheavals. It has been argued in the 20th century that the importance of ideology in the political world has been declining and the question set requires an analysis of the arguments put forward by those who believe that ideology influence has come to an end.
This essay will challenge the view that ideology is no longer relevant in modern politics and argue that ideology is rife around the world. It will start with a definition of ideology followed with the theoretical basis required to support the claim that ideology is irrelevant. The political status of the world will be compared to these requirements using examples, such as the Occupy movement and suggest that these requirements are not being met. Then in order to fully understand why it has been argued the ideologies are no longer relevant, the historical context of when the claim has been made will be given before they are scrutinised.
For the purposes of this essay, the idea of the irrelevance of ideology will come from the works of Daniel Bell and Francis Fukuyama. It seems reasonable to assess the worldwide significance of ideology against the most notable works asserting its death. These thinkers may not have exactly the same ideas but they come to similar conclusions and their core beliefs can be analysed. Any assertion that cannot be taken seriously as a criticism of Bell or Fukuyama is probably not worth being taken seriously.
Before analysing the relevance of ideology in modern politics and moving on to why they are still valuable, it is necessary to provide a detailed explanation of what political ideologies are. The use of the term ideology adopted in this essay will be a simple one: ideologies are a broad view on what is political and how to form a ‘good
Political ideology has been an intrinsic part of world history for over two hundred years (Heywood 1998). The modern world was moulded by ideology resulting in political, economic and social upheavals. It has been argued in the 20th century that the importance of ideology in the political world has been declining and the question set requires an analysis of the arguments put forward by those who believe that ideology influence has come to an end.
This essay will challenge the view that ideology is no longer relevant in modern politics and argue that ideology is rife around the world. It will start with a definition of ideology followed with the theoretical basis required to support the claim that ideology is irrelevant. The political status of the world will be compared to these requirements using examples, such as the Occupy movement and suggest that these requirements are not being met. Then in order to fully understand why it has been argued the ideologies are no longer relevant, the historical context of when the claim has been made will be given before they are scrutinised.
For the purposes of this essay, the idea of the irrelevance of ideology will come from the works of Daniel Bell and Francis Fukuyama. It seems reasonable to assess the worldwide significance of ideology against the most notable works asserting its death. These thinkers may not have exactly the same ideas but they come to similar conclusions and their core beliefs can be analysed. Any assertion that cannot be taken seriously as a criticism of Bell or Fukuyama is probably not worth being taken seriously.
Before analysing the relevance of ideology in modern politics and moving on to why they are still valuable, it is necessary to provide a detailed explanation of what political ideologies are. The use of the term ideology adopted in this essay will be a simple one: ideologies are a broad view on what is political and how to form a ‘good
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