MODULE 2: Political Ideas and Ideologies

Overview
How do you express your opinions on an issue of political relevance? Have you not noticed that
individuals use political ideas and concepts when they speak their minds?
In this module, you will be able to:
 Critique ideas that have a direct impact on how we try to manage ourselves as a political
community;
 Identify the basic tenets of major political ideologies (i.e., liberalism, socialism,
conservatism, etc);
 Differentiate political ideologies;
 Examine the relationship between political ideologies and configurations of political
communities; and
 Analyze how political ideologies create an impact on the social and political life of
Filipinos.

Politics is a social activity through which people make and amend the general rules that guide
their political life. It is studied using theoretical perspective and the connection between political
theory and practice is established by ideologies, among many others.
Following Aristotle’s contention that all individuals are naturally political thinkers.
The Role of Ideas
Why did Filipinos march against the dictator Ferdinand Marcos in what became known as
the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution? Why did people do the same during the time of former
President Joseph Estrada in 2001? What are the reasons behind the Million People March in 2013?
Ideas are definitely abstract in nature that govern individual behavior and actions. While
they may not be ideologies themselves, they constitute a part of the raw material needed to create
one coherent political doctrine.
Political ideas emanate from the conceptions of how human beings react to their
environment. Political ideas shape the nature of political systems and serve as glue that binds
societies together.
The Nature of Political Ideology
An ideology is more or less a coherent set of ideas that direct or organize a specific political
action (Heywood 2013). It 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 an illustration of a desired future. There are several definitions of political ideology according
to Heywood (2013) that you may find in the internet.
It is important to present first the spectrum of political attitudes before focusing on the
major political ideologies. Whether an individual is radical, liberal, moderate, conservative, or
reactionary, he or she is largely represented by his or her political values and beliefs in political
change. You must have heard and wondered what are the terms leftist and rightist really mean in
political discourse. To be a leftist means being supportive of the values on the left of the spectrum
where the radicals and the liberals are located, while being rightest means espousing the value of
those on the right where the conservatives and the reactionaries are located.
Each of these is an advocate of a particular political value and possesses a political attitude
about changing the status quo.
Major Political Ideologies: Key Ideas and Theories
 Here you will learn the basic tenets of the classical ideologies (liberalism, conservatism,
and socialism) and other ideological traditions that emerged as a reaction to these classified ones.
Major Political Ideologies Key Tenets
Liberalism  Belief in individualism underscores the importance of the
human individual in the political realm.
 Liberty of the individual must be protected. An individual
has the freedom to act as he or she pleases.
 Reason can lead individuals to make wise judgments,
which could solve issues or differences.
 Equality implies that individuals are born equal, at least in
moral terms. Equal rights and entitlements are at its core.
It must be noted, however, that liberates do not endorse
social equality or equality of outcome.
 Tolerance is the willingness of individuals to allow others
to think and behave in ways they do not approve. It is a
guarantee of individual liberty.
 Authority and social relationships must also be based on
agreement or consent.
Conservatism  Tradition must be conserved. These traditions include
established customs, institutions, and ways of doing things
that have endured through time.
 The belief in pragmatism highlights the limits of human
reason. As a belief, pragmatism emphasizes that action
should be shaped by practical circumstances and goals.
 Human imperfection presents the pessimistic view of
conservatives on the individual. Accordingly, individuals
are morally corrupt and are therefore the sources of crime
and disorder. Order could thus be achieved through a
strong state.
 Conservatives believe that society is an organic whole and
is a living entity, more than being an artifact of human
ingenuity. This belief is known as organicism.
 Conservatives also believe that social position and status
are only natural. With this, hierarchy is thought to be
investable.
 Authority must be exercised from above. Leadership is
provided to guide and support those who lack knowledge
and education and those who have little capacity to act for
their own interest.
 Conservatives look at property as significant because it is
the individual’s source of security and independence from
the government.
Socialism  Belief in the community highlights the degree to which the
individual is connected with others. Identity is therefore a
product of social interaction more than innate qualities.
 Brotherhood or fraternity speaks of a shared common
humanity. Socialists thus prefer cooperation rather than
competition and collectivity rather than individualism.
 Socialists put primacy on social equality over other
values. This is believed to be the basis for social stability
and cohesion.
 Socialists look at society in terms of difference in the
distribution of income or wealth. Social class is believed
to be an important social cleavage, which divides
societies. The interests of the working class and the
 oppressed should be upheld. With this, eradicating
economic and social inequalities is deemed as the primary
goal of socialism.
 Common ownership is also central to socialist thought.
Unlike private property, common ownership is a means to
harness material resources for the common good.
Marxism  Historical materialism or the materialist conception of
history 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. Historical change is therefore a
consequence of contradictions in the mode of production,
as reflected in class conflict.
 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 – one that is classless and stateless –
will arise when class antagonisms fade.
Social democracy  Social democrats stand for a balance between the market
and the state, and between the individual and the
community.
 This ideology promotes compromise between the
acceptance of capitalism and the distribution of wealth
according to moral, rather than market principles.
 Social democratic thought is concerned with the weak, the
vulnerable, and the underdog.
 Compassion, common humanity, freedom, equal
opportunities, paternal duty, and care are among the
values that social democracy recognizes.
Fascism  Fascism is an ultranationalist ideology. As such, it
subscribes to the idea of a supreme race, whose members
should enjoy the natural resources. It is by exclusive
nature as it excludes nonmembers of the race.
 Fascism was manifested during Mussolini’s fascist
dictatorship in Italy and Hitler’s Nazi dictatorship in
Germany.
 Common values upheld are struggle, leadership, power,
heroism, and war.
 The “new man” or a hero who is motivated by the duty,
honor and self-sacrifice, and gives understanding
obedience to the supreme leader is a fascist ideal.
 Fascism has an anti-character: anti-liberalism, anti-
individualism, anti-capitalism, etc.
 Fascists believe in a unified national community or
strength through unity. As such, individual identity is not
as important as that of the social group or community.
Anarchism  The state or any political authority, is seen as both evil and
unnecessary.
 Anarchists prefer a stateless society. Individuals can best
manage their own affairs through voluntary agreement
and cooperation.
  Anarchism is thus at the intersection of liberalism and
socialism.
Feminism  Feminism is diverse, but its unifying theme is 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.
 Its strands include liberal feminism, socialist feminism,
and radical feminism. There are also “new feminisms” that
emerged.
Green politics/ecologism  This ideology is linked with the emergence of
environmental movement. It also rose as a revolt against
industrialization.
 It is concerned with the damages brought about by
economic development and by the declining quality of
human existence.
 Conventional ideologies area vehicle of ecologism.
Ecosocialism looks at the destruction of the environment
due to capitalism; ecofeminism traces this crisis to male
power; and ecoconservatism links the cause of
conservation to the desire to preserve tradition and
institutions.
Cosmopolitanism  Ideological expression of globalization
 It is a belied in a cosmopolis or a world state. It is thus
associated with the project of world government.
 Modern cosmopolitanism tends to have a moral or a
cultural character, believing that the world constitutes a
single moral community.
 Cosmopolitanism focuses on the idea that all the people in
the world have obligations to one another regardless of
nationality, ethnicity and the like.

Ideas shape human actions and social outcomes. What is believed by the members of the
community has been drastically affecting their social, political, and economic conditions, and also
their way of life. Socialism has been the forerunner of values such as equity, justice, and
community life. Democracy is not just a political system but an ideology that pushes freedom,
equality, rights, and welfare for the people protected by the government. In these instances,
ideologies are made alive when individuals and communities are influenced by ideas.

Ideologies and the Philippine Society

According to Buendia (1992), ideologies are critical in a country’s political life as they
make and unmake regimes and governments. He continued, “in the Philippines, ideologies remain
to be sharpened and fashioned to the country’s needs and demands for development. Many of the
solutions proposed by various ideologies are shaped by the way the national problems are defined
or seen.” (p. 64)
While the larger portion of the Philippine society is not motivated by any ideology, several
groups, political parties, and sections of the country espouse certain ideologies. As Buendia (1992)
claimed, these organizations and their ideologies continue to compete in offering solutions and
programs of government to respond to the nation’s problems.
Worksheet 2: Philippine Politics
Teacher: Mr. Mark B. Ebesa

General Instructions: Answer each question in at least 50 words. 10pts each

I. Reflect Upon
1. What are your political values, beliefs, and perceptions? Do they always influence your social
behavior? Explain.
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2. What do you think are some of the major reasons that individuals refuse to accept political
changes and innovations?
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3. Do you have a personal experience of resisting change? Elaborate your answer.
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4. Which among the political ideologies discussed can you relate to?
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5. Which among these political ideologies is the most dominant in Philippine institutions?
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6. How can political ideologies contribute to the developments of the Philippines?
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II. What Have I Learned So Far?
1. What do you think can ideas do to our society?
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2. How are ideas able to determine social relations, structures of interaction among individuals,
and behaviors of actors in political arrangements?
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3. What is political ideology? What are its characteristics?
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4. What role(s) do political ideologies play in the realm of politics?
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5. Which among the political ideologies are related to one another? What are their common
characteristics?
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6. Do you think that radical political ideologies can act as catalysts of social changes? Explain.
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