IDEOLOGY Fr. Gk.

idologie "study or science of ideas," coined by French philosopher Destutt de Tracy (1754-1836) from ido- "of ideas," from Gk. idea (idea) + logy. Ideologies are the sets of basic beliefs about the political, economic, social and cultural affairs held by the majority of people within as society. Ideology ... is usually taken to mean, a prescriptive doctrine that is not supported by rational argument (false consciousness). [D.D. Raphael, "Problems of Political Philosophy," 1970] Way in which people think about the world and their ideal concept of how to live in the world. Shared beliefs of a group of people, for example a nation, a sect of a religion, or a group of theorists. Within ideology, there is normally a range of beliefs. FUNCTION OF IDEOLOGIES Ideologies provide perspective through which the world is understood or explained. A GOOD IDEOLOGY It helps you understand and respond to things that happen in the world and in your life Summary of differences between philosophy and ideology: 1. Philosophy refers to a pragmatic approach of looking and

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analyzing life. Ideology refers to a set of beliefs and rules belonging to a particular group or set of people 2. Philosophy aims at understand the world as it exists whereas ideology is born out of a vision for the future and aims at changing the current state to that particular vision 3. Philosophy is objective whereas ideology is dogmatic and refuses to participate in any discussion that does not agree with that ideology 4. Philosophy does not have as much impact as an ideology would have on the world for ideology aims at spreading the beliefs and imposing them on the rest of the society irrespective of its relevance 5. All ideologies have some underlying philosophy but it is not vice versa.

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