Koyzis Political Ideology Summary

To start out, David T. Koyzis talks about ideologies. However, he presents them as a modern form of idolatry. Another way it is seen is as a result of idolatry, humanism. Idolatry “takes something out of creation..raising it above the creation…” and serving it. However, Koyzis explains that not all ideologies are bad, they contain “fragments of truth” that get blown out of proportion. This book discusses five political ideologies; liberalism, conservatism, nationalism, democratism, and socialism. The first ideology is liberalism. Koyzis argues that both the right and the left have a common root. He believes that the maximization of individual freedom will solve the problems that currently exist. For non-liberals, the focus is completely on the individual. However, for liberals, communities exist voluntarily by the individuals who allow them to be there. Liberalism is thus connected to individual self-interest. The truth to liberalism is that it recognizes human beings and the value of freedom. However, this is blown out of
Nationalism is the idea of belonging to an ethnic, cultural, or political group. Making the ideology of nationalism focus on human identity however changes it from the western version of it into the “perverse” form that could be found in the East such as the German Nazis, or Italian Fascism according to Koyzis. Nationalist governments try to impose uniformity to counter the various diversities and identifications. While being in community is good, but nationalists take it too far. Loyalty to the nationalist group is considered of the utmost importance, even above God. Nationalism takes loyalty and community and distorts it into something that means more than it is. When something like your culture or ethnic group comes before God, it is no longer good. Any identity that comes before God can be viewed as idolatry according to Koyzis, this even includes religious identities. God should always come