Why Political Ideologies Matter
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CHOOSING BETWEEN IDEOLOGIES In the discussion above, political ideologies were portrayed very much as a mixed blessing. For example, while ideologies may constitute an essential road to political understanding, this road may also promote tunnel vision and distort truth. However, the balance between understanding and distortion may not be uniform across the ideological landscape; rather, it may differ from ideology to ideology, certain ideologies proving to be more reliable or more insightful than others. In that sense, some ideologies may matter more than others. This may be evident in a number of ways. One of these is that ideologies vary in the extent to which they correspond to ‘the facts’ and succeed in explaining real-world events and developments. Socialism, for instance, has widely been viewed as a less reliable and insightful political ideology, as a result of the declining significance of social class since the 1970s. A widening gap thus developed between ideological belief (reflected in the socialist assumption that social classes are the principal actors in history) and reality. However, the correspondence-to-reality approach to evaluating political ideologies is not without its difficulties. In particular, it is rooted in the confident belief that facts have an objective existence separate from our values and assumptions. The notion of a distinction between facts and values is nevertheless foreign to the thrust of ideological thought, which is concerned not just with understanding the world, but with doing so for a purpose: namely, remaking the world for the better (whatever that may mean in practice). When we choose between political ideologies, then, we are not evaluating rival intellectual frameworks so much as selecting the most compelling vehicle for ethical and emotional engagement in politics.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
y y In what sense can political ideologies be thought of as paradigms? y y Is it possible to resolve differences between ideologies through a process of debate and discussion? y y Are modern ‘de-ideologized’ political parties sustainable in the long run? y y How, and how effectively, do political ideologies forge a sense of the collective? y y Why, and with what implications, have ideologies been portrayed as political religions?
y y Is it possible to avoid confirmation bias? And if so, how can this be done? y y To what extent are political ideologies susceptible to scientific analysis? y y How and why do modern ideological rivalries so often take the form of culture wars? y y Are some ideologies more reliable and insightful than others? y y Can political ideologies ever be judged by how far they correspond to reality?
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