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Ideology and Philosophy

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Institution

Professor

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Ideology and Philosophy

1. What is the difference between ideology and philosophy? What is the political spectrum?

Ideology and philosophy have significant variations. First, ideology encompasses the values,

doctrines, and principles influencing people's decisions and beliefs. They can also influence

people's actions (McCloskey, 2019). Conversely, philosophy is an explorative attempt to look at

things critically and answer questions about life aspects such as nature, existence, knowledge,

and ethics. Thus, ideology is a relatively more rigid way of interpreting or understanding things

(McCloskey, 2019). People holding a particular ideology have greater resistance to change.

Philosophers are more willing to adjust their perspectives after gaining new knowledge or

consulting the views of others. Thus, philosophy is more abstract and broader than ideology

(McCloskey, 2019). Unlike ideology, philosophy encourages an open-minded approach to

analyzing issues and things, which supports a fixed view or understanding.

A good example of an ideology is conservatism. People holding the ideology advocate for the

preservation of traditional values and institutions. In their view, traditional values are essential in

maintaining order and stability in a society (Freeman, 2018). Also, conservatives believe that the

government should have minimal interference with the private institutions and the market. Thus,

they support the right wing in politics. One of the examples of common philosophical views is

utilitarianism. Based on this view, the best decision or action has the greatest benefits and least

harm to the largest number of stakeholders (Freeman, 2018). Thus, the view supports making

optimal decisions after considering the potential harms and benefits.

A political spectrum is classifying and characterizing different political positions or

ideologies. Thus, the spectrum helps to understand the diversity of political ideologies, stances,

and beliefs held by different groups and individuals in a society (McCloskey, 2019). They are
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usually classified along a geometric axis, from the left to the right. Examples of the common

social ideologies classified along the spectrum are liberalism and conservatism. As mentioned

earlier, conservatism advocates preserving traditional values and limited or minimal government

interference with the market (McCloskey, 2019). Conservatism is relatively more resistant to

change. Thus, it is classified on the right side of the political spectrum. Liberalism, on the left

side of the spectrum, supports change in society and, thus, does not favor the preservation of

traditional values and institutions (McCloskey, 2019). Liberalists also support more government

intervention to regulate the market.

2. Describe each of the main political approaches to state/market regulation: liberal, socialist,

and mixed economy or welfare state.

The first political approach to state/market regulation is liberalism. Although liberalists

agree that the government should have a role in regulating the market, they advocate for limited

or minimal interference (Freeman, 2018). In the view of liberalism, the government should only

be involved in distributing or regulating the distribution of services and goods that can lead to

significant adverse impacts on society if left to the private sector. Thus, liberalists advocate for

individual liberties and the freedom to compete in the market (McCloskey, 2019). The supporters

of liberalism, such as Adam Smith, perceived market competition as healthy for society. Thus,

the liberalists support capitalism as the best strategy for distributing wealth and resources

(McCloskey, 2019). One of the major weaknesses of liberalism, however, is that it allows for

income inequality increase and reliance.

The second state/market regulation approach is socialism. Unlike liberalism, it supports

government intervention in the market. Specifically, the main tents of the ideology are that the
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government should have total power in manipulating wages and prices in a market (Freeman,

2018). Also, it should provide or distribute economic resources to the citizens and ration them.

The government, in such instances, controls the industries. In return, the citizens should provide

services as authorized by the government and obey the law (Freeman, 2018). A good example is

the case of the Soviet Union, whereby the government controlled almost all industries,

determined wages and prices for services and products, and distributed them to the citizens

(Freeman, 2018). The weaknesses of socialism are that it leads to a loss of motivation for work

due to low returns, does not give opportunities for competition and entrepreneurship, and can

lead to slow economic growth. However, one of its advantages is that it significantly reduces

income inequality among citizens.

The last approach is the welfare state or mixed economy, a blend of socialism and liberalism.

The ideology supports government intervention in the market while allowing for

entrepreneurship and competition (Freeman, 2018). Supporting government intervention aims to

facilitate fairness in resource distribution and protect vulnerable groups (Freeman, 2018). Most

countries today, including India, England, and modern China, adopt the approach.

3. Choose any politician in Canada and, based on the above information, explain where they

sit on the political spectrum. Use your textbook to support your argument.

The Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, is an example of a leader who supports

liberalism. He has implemented liberalist policies since becoming the country's top leader

(Blake, 2022). The Canadian government has some interventions in the market aimed at

facilitating equitable distribution of public goods. A good example is the government funding for

universal healthcare (Blake, 2022). However, most of the policies implemented by Trudeau’s
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administration are meant to support individual and civil liberties and to encourage free trade and

competition. For instance, Trudeau’s administration has supported and advocated for

reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights (Blake, 2022). Also, the Canadian government has been

reducing taxes for the citizens to encourage entrepreneurship and reduce its interference in the

market. In addition, it has been signing trade agreements with other countries that encourage

imports and exports by the private sector players (Blake, 2022). As Pétry (2019) explained, such

policies and actions align with the tenets of liberalism. Also, the policies and actions align with

Prime Minister Trudeau’s Liberalist Party’s goals and objectives. Thus, he sits on the liberalist

side of the political spectrum.

References
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Blake, R. B. (2022). Road to Redemption: The Liberal Party of Canada, 2006–2019 by Brooke

Jeffrey. British Journal of Canadian Studies, 34(2), 270-270.

Freeman, J. R. (2018). Democracy and markets: The politics of mixed economies. Cornell

University Press.

McCloskey, D. N. (2019). Why liberalism works: How true liberal values produce a freer, more

equal, prosperous world for all. Yale University Press.

Pétry, F. (2019). Assessing Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Government. 353 promises and a mandate

for change. Presses de l'Université Laval.